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HOiA£ TO PL-KV 



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HENRY CHAD-WICK, 

With Instruction in the 



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*P^rt of pitching, i^n 



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^F^IEl-DING.* 



Batting and Base Running. 



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Eagle Press, Brooklyn, N, Y. 



Spalding's Special Hand ^ade 

KANGAROO BALL SHOE 

FOR 

Professional Players. 




No. 2-0, - - - Price, $7.00. 

WE now have on the third floor of our New York Store a thoroug^hly 
equipped Shoe Factory for the manufacture of fine Base Ball and 
Athletic Shoes. This department of our business is under the immediate 
charge and supervision of Wm. Dowling, who for several years past has 
enjoyed the reputation of being the leading- maker of Atliletic Shoes in 
New York. We employ in this department the most skilful workmen, and 
use only the very best material and are prepared to take special orders and 
make a special last for professional players. 

The special attention of Ball players is called to our new genuine 
Kangaroo Base Ball Shoe, which will be used this coming season by 
the Chicago, New York, Detroit, and other prominent League p'ayers. 

The above cut represents this Shoe, which is maae from selected 
genuine Kangaroo skin, all hand sewed, slipper heel, cut low in front, and 
wid<% so they can be laced tight or loose as the player hkes. 

Each pair is provided with alligator laces, and the whole Shoe made 
with reference to comfort and the hard usage required of it. 

Our new Hand Forged Shoe Plates— for toe and heel— will be riveted 
on when required, without additional expense. 

HOW TO MEASURE. 

MEASUREMENT BLANKS will be 

furnishe > on application, or a player can 

take a piece of manila paper ot sufficient 

size, and by following the directions 

herein eriven, can take his own measure: 

Place the foot flat on the paper, and 

with a 1 encil draw around the foot close 

p » »TTTT V to it. Then take other measures as shown 

[ANKLE in the cut. 

left foot. 

„„„, Ankle Inches. 

^^^^ Heel " 

\^ ^/V INSTEP Instep " 

^-^ / %^ Ball 

k Ball Ball Players will bear in 

^^ rriind that we make a special 

last for each m^n, which 

.-S will be kept for future use. 

^ Satisfaction both as to fit and 

quality of shoe guaranteed. 

CHICAGO. A. 6, SPALDING & BROS, new york. 




HOi/\Z TO RL-KV 

BASE BALL 

BY HENRY CHADW^ICK:. 

COMPRISING 

A TREATISE ON THE SCIENCE OF THE GAME 

— WITH— 

Special Chapters of Instruction in the Art of 

Pitching, Fielding, Batting and 

Base Running, 

TOGETHER WITH 

Hints on Playing Points in the Game — How to Manage 
a Team— How to Captain a Nine, etc. 



—AND THE- 



PLAYING CODE OF RULES FOR 1889. 

—WITH THE— 

OFFICIAL EXPLANATORY APPENDIX FOR 
THE USE OF UMPIRES. ^ 

(COPVniGHTED) ( J[jM 6 1889 

— V - .^^?/>^ 

rURLISHED BY 
241 Broadway, New York. 108 Madison St., Chicago. 



■h ~y^ 




HENRY CHAD WICK— "Father of Base Ball." 

Henry Chadwick, the veteran journalist, upon whom the honored so- 
briquet of " Kather of Base Ball " rests so happily and well, appears in 
portraiture, and so well preserved is his physical manhood that his sixty- 
three years rest lijjhtly upon his well timed life. Since the a^e of thirteen 
he has resided in Brooklyn, New York, and is an honored member of the 
distinguished Society of old Brooklynites. He entered upon the journalis- 
lic career in which he has attained eminent distinction in 1856, his first work 
finding a ready field on the New York Times. In 18^7 he associated himself 
with the New York Cli/^per., and was identified with that journal steadily 
for thirty-one years. After twenty-nine years of remarkable devotion to the 
interests of morning journalism in the metropolis, Mr. Chadwick retired in 
1886 to accept an editorial position on the Outing Magazine^ which, together 
with his work on the Brooklyn Eagle ^ keeps his ready pen busy. He is one 
of the most valued contributors on The Sporting Life staff, and his work in 
other journals has made his name a household word as the "Father of Base 
Ball." He comes from a famous family of English birth, his brother, Mr. 
Edwin Chadwick, being the noted sanitary philosopher of England. Mr, 
Chadwick has edited our League Guidf. since 1S80. 

A. G. Spalding & Bkos., Chicago and New York, 



S^^/c?^^- 



/ 



PREFACE. 



In preparing Hit. 't of his standard works on the 

tional game, Mr. Ciiadvvick has combined in one 
"lume his two separate books on Pitching and Field- 
ing, and Batting and Base Running, previously com- 
prising Nos. 3 and 4 of our Library of Athletic Sports ; 
and in doing this he has produced the most complete 
manual of base ball yet published. 

In the chapters on tiie art of pitching and fielding, 
which comprise the powers of the attacking force in 
the game, Mr. Chadwick presents a series of instruct- 
ive articles on the work of the pitcher, in which are 
shown the special methods of delivery, the philosophy 
of the curve, the tactics of a strategist, headwork in 
pitching, the effects of speed, throwing to bases, balk- 
ing, pitching by signals, battery work, change of 
pitchers, and the technical terms used in pitching. 

In regard to the fielding there are special articles on 
team work in fielding, the pitcher and catcher as 
fielders, the infield, first base play, the second base- 
man's work, third base play, short fielding, the out- 
fielder's work, backing up, and throwing to first base. 

Added to these are instructive chapters on scientific 
batting, placing the ball, base hits and earned runs, 
the right form for hitting, playing points on the pitcher, 
the proper swing of the bat, facing for position, the 



4 PREFACE. 

correct position in batting, the true criterion of eff ,ct- 
ive hitting and sacrifice hitting, togetlier with the 
latest points of play in base running. 

This instructive work is the result of thirty years of 
experience in reporting the leading contests each year, 
as well as of work in formulating the rules of play in 
the game as Chairman of the Committee of Rules of 
the old National Association during the period of 
existence. 

A. G. SPALDING & P3R0S. 



The following letter from Mr. John M. Ward is note- 
worthy as emanating from so excellent a judge of the 
game and so able a writer on the subject. 

Hotel Marlborough, ) 
New York, April nth. ) 
Henry Chadwick, Esq.: 

My Dear Sir: — I have read carefully your book on the arts 
of pitching, batthig, fielding and base running. Your reputation 
as a masterful writer upon every department of base ball is so 
well known as to need no further endorsement. Yet I desire 
to express to you my appreciation of the merits of the book 
as an instructive and valuable work. 

Yours very truly, 

JOHN M. WARD. 



INTRODUCTION. 



In presenting a book of instruction for those de- 
sirous of learning how to i)l;iy base ball, during such 
an exceptional period in the history of the American 
national game as that of the year 1889, unusual care 
has to be taken in preparing the work, so as to grasp 
every new point of play which has been developed 
within the remarkably eventful decade in base ball 
progress which marked the ten years prior to the year 
1890, 

In the earlier history of the game the task of pre- 
paring a book of the kind was comparatively an easy 
one. But base ball, as now exemplified by the leading 
professional experts of the day, differs materially from 
the base ball of twenty years ago, when books of in- 
struction in the playing of the game were first issued. 
In fact, base ball, as now played, has become an art, 
and it is now a field sport calling for more manly 
qualifications, mental as well as physical, than any 
field game known to the Anglo-Saxon race, not ex- 
cepting the noble old game of cricket. 

Base ball in its early days was simply an active and 
enjoyable field exercise, well adapted for youth, and 
also for men of adult age whose sedentary business 
habits rendered it necessary that for health's sake 
alone they should participate in some recreative out- 



6 INTRODUCTION. 

door game. But the base ball of the period has passed 
its youthful days, and it is now in the full growth of 
a sturdy manhood, which calls for qualifications to 
excel in the game which men of healthy and strong 
physique, steady nerves, and of mental ability alone 
possess. In other words, base ball in its most at- 
tractive form has ceased to be a boy's game, and now 
stands forth as a field sport requiring manly (pialities 
of the highest degree in every respect. 

It is therefore no small task to prepare a complete 
book of instruction for the acquirement of a full 
knowledge of the art of playing base ball up to its 
highest standard, and it is this which the author has 
undertaken in presenting this latest of his works on the 
national game, trusting that his earnest desire to ad- 
vance its popularity and promote its welfare, as also 
to develop its most attractive features to the fullest 
extent, will compensate for any shortcomings in 
other respects which may characterize any chapters of 
the book. 

This new work replaces the two books previously 
issued by the publisher from the pen of the author, 
and as a whole they form the most complete book of in- 
struction and the largest manual of base ball yet 
issued. 



HOW BASE BALL IS PLAYED. 



There are two ways of learning to pla}- base ball; 
the one is to learn it for objects of recreation and ex- 
ercise, and the other in order to become a noted and 
skilful professional exemplar of the game. The 
former involves but little trouble, inasmuch as the 
theoretical knowledge requisite for the purpose can 
readily be acquired in an hour's study of any standard 
work on the game, while an afternoon's practice on 
the field, in an amateur contest, will afford all the 
practical information necessary. To become a profes- 
sional expert, howevei-, not only requires an attentive 
study of all the rules and special points of the game 
but also a regular course of training in order to fully 
develop the physical powers, with a view to insure 
the highest degree of skill in each and all of the 
several departments of the game. This latter is a 
task which demands persevering application, fatiguing 
exertion, plenty of nerve and pluck, thorough control 
of temper, considerable powers of endurance, and, 
withal, the physical aptitude to excel in one or other, if 
not in all, of the four special departments of base ball, 
viz. Pitching^ battings base-runnings ixndjielding. 

The theory of base ball is as simple as that of any 
field sport in vogue, and herein lies one of its attractive 



8 HOW TO PLAY BASE BALL. 

features. And yet to play the game up to its highest 
point of excellence requires as great a degree of 
mental ability, and the possession of as many manly 
physical attributes, as any known game of ball. 

THE THEORY OF THE GAME. 

The theory of the game is simply as follows.: A 
space of ground being marked out on a level field in 
the form of a square, canvas bag bases are placed 
on three corners of the square— or 'Miamond," as 
it is technically called — and a home base of stone 
or metal on the remaining corner ; the latter being 
so placed as to form the head of the diamond 
field. The contesting sides, comprising nine players 
on each side, then toss up for the first innings, 
and the winning side goes to the field, placing their 
nine players in the following nine positions. 
^/•When the fielders have taken their positions and the 
umpire is ready to discharge his duties, he calls for 
the striker, and the batting side send their first man 
to the bat. The pitcher then delivers the ball over 
the home base, and within the specified reach of the 
batsman (that is between the height of his knee and 
his shoulder), and the latter tries to hit the ball out of 
the reach of the fielders, so as to enable him to make 
the round of the bases, from first base to home, before 
he can be put out, in which case he scores a run. 
Others of the batting side succeed each other at the 
bat until three of them have been put out ; in which 
case the first part of the first innings is ended and the 



HOW TO PLAY BASE BALL. 9 

field side then take their first innings at the bat. This 
is continued until nine innings on each side have been 
completed, and at the end of the ninth even innings 
the side scoring the majority of runs wins the game. 
Appended is a complete diagram of a ball ground 
with its ^' diamond " field, giving the figures of the 
dimensions, etc., in accordance with the revised rules 
for 1889. (See following page.) 

THE PLAYERS IN THE GAME. 

It is not within the scope of this work to refer in 
detail to the qualifications necessary to fill every 
separate position in the ball field, as the book is 
intended more to give instruction in what may be 
called the scientific points of the game. We, therefore, 
refer briefly to what are considered as essential for 
the players who comprise the occupants of the three 
several departments of tiie field side in a game, viz : 
the ^'' battery^' players, the infielders and the outfielders. 

THE BATTERY. 

The double team of players of a nine known techni- 
cally as " the battery," comprise the pitcher and catcher^ 
and these two players are to the balance of the 
nine what the battery of a regiment is to the line of 
infantry. In fact the pitcher is the main reliance of 
the attacking force of the field corps, and on his 
skill in the delivery of the ball to the bat the success 
of the team as a whole largely depends. Of course, 
in order that the battery be made complete, it is 
essential that the catcher's work in receiving the ball 



CORRECT DIAGRAM OF A BALL GROUND. 



LEFT 



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A. A. A. — Ground reserved for Umpire, Batsman and Catcher. 

B. B. — Ground reserved for Captam and Assistant. 

C. — Players' Bench. D.— Visiting Players' Bat Rack. 
E.— Home Players' Bat Rack. 



HOW TO PLAY BASE HALL. 11 

from the pitcher should bd well up to the standard of 
excellence shown in the delivery of the ball itself. In 
other words, the two players should be trained to 
work together as a team, and not as two separate and 
distinct players in their respective positions. 

THE INFIELDERS. 

The infielders of a nine are the immediate support- 
ing force of the " battery ;" and they include the three 
base players — first, second and third — and the short 
stop or short fielder. While each of this quartette of 
players has, in a measure, separate and distinct field- 
ing duties to perform in their respective positions, 
they form a special team, when ably captained — and 
they work together as a whole in backing up each 
other in their duty oi playing for the side. Of course, 
when any one of the four ignores team work in his 
play, and simply goes in to play for a record, the 
harmony of the infield is broken up and the support 
of the battery is weakened in proportion. 

In the division of the special duties of the four 
positions of the infield, the first baseman is required 
to excel in securely holding swift and widely thrown 
balls to him by the other three infielders; while the 
other two basemen are more busily engaged in fielding 
batted balls, and in throwing them to bases, or in 
putting out base runners; the short stop being the 
general backer-up of the infield and an assistant to the 
pitcher. In the field work of this quartette of players 
the second baseman holds the key position of the in- 
field. 



12 HOW TO PLAY BASE RALL. 

THE OUTFIELDERS. 

The trio of outfield players of a nine differ from 
those of the infield to the extent of their being 
required to be long distance throwers, and especially 
well up in judging and catching high fly balls to deep 
outfield. Some years ago the left field position was 
regarded as the most important in the outfield ; but 
the advance in scientific play at the bat has brought 
the rightfielder into a greater prominence, that posi- 
tion now affording the most opportunities for fielding 
assistance in throwing out base runners. It is a 
necessity in team work in the outfield that all three 
players should be on the qui vive the moment a ball is 
batted to the outfield, to aid one another in its quick 
return to the infield, backing up each other being as 
important a feature of skillful outfielding as it is of 
first-class infielding. 

THE PRIMARY RULES OF PLAY. 

The best way to impart instruction in regard to 
playing the game is to describe the working of the 
primary rules of play and this we now proceed to do. 

When the fielders are in their respective positions, 
the pitcher in his "box" and the catcher standing 
about fifty feet back of the home base, the batsman 
takes his position in his "box" and the umpire calls 
''play." In the first place the pitcher is required by 
the rules to deliver the ball while standing within the 
lines of his position so as to face the batsman, at the 
same time holding the ball in front of him in sight of 



HOW TO PLAY BASE BALL. I3 

the umpire. In doing this one of his feet must be on 
the back line of his "box" position. In the act of 
delivery he can take but one forward step. In deliver- 
ing the ball he can either throw it, pitch \\.,jerk it, or 
use a round arm form of delivery as in bowling in 
cricket, provided that the ball does not touch the 
ground before passing the home plate. Every ball 
delivered by the pitcher to the bat which passes over 
any portion of the home base, and at a height not 
higher than the shoulder of the batsman nor lower than 
his knee, is a fair ball, and must be struck at by the 
batsman under the penalty of having " strikes " called 
on him, and three such called strikes puts the batsman 
out, just the same as if he had struck at three balls and 
failed to hit any one of them. If the pitcher fails to 
deliver the ball in the manner prescribed, and, instead, 
sends them in above the shoulder of the batsman or 
below his knee, or not over the home base, the penalty 
of ^'called bails" is inflicted, and four such called balls 
send the batsman to his base. The pitcher is also 
])enalized in case he delivers the ball illegally or fails 
to deliver it after making one of the series of motions 
he uses in his method of delivery, such penalized 
action constituting a balk. In the case of an ^Hllegar 
delivery the batsman is given his base as well as the 
base runners occupying bases ; but ordinary balks 
which do not involve the actual delivery of the ball to 
tlie bat, only give runners on bases a base and not the 
batsman. 

The batsman is out when ""three strikes" have been 



14 HOW TO PLAY BASE HALL. 

called on him; when the ball he hits in theairis^^caug/i^ 
on the fly, ^' either "fair" or "foul;" when, in running to 
first base after hitting a ''''fair ball,'' the ball be held by 
the base player while some part of his person is touch- 
ing the base bag before the runner touches it, or if the 
batsman steps out of his box to strike at the ball, or if 
he be touched by the ball in the hands of a fielder 
when not touching the base bag, or if he strike at a 
pitched ball out of his fair reach for the plain pur- 
pose of hindering the catcher. But if in running to 
first base the runner touches the base at the same time 
that the ball is held there the runner is not out. 

The moment a batsman hits a ball fairly, that is, 
hits it so that it strikes the ground inside the boundary 
lines of the diamond field, either between home base 
and first base, or home and third, he becomes a base 
runner^ and as a base runner he can be put out as 
follows: First, for failing to reach first base before 
the ball is held there; secondly, if the batted ball 
rebounds from the fair ground and strikes him while 
running; thirdly, if he be touched by the ball in the 
hands of a fielder before reaching a base, or while 
momentarily off a base which he is entitled to hold, or 
while running to first base he runs outside of the speci- 
fied base path to first base, or if he fails to avoid inter- 
fering with a fielder in the act of trying to catch a fly 
ball. In running to first base the base runner is 
privileged to overrun that base, and he cannot be 
put out in returning to that base after such overrun- 
ning, unless he crosses the foul ball line in an effort to 



HOW TO PLAY BASE BALL. 15 

run to second base on his hit. Or if, in running between 
bases, he pushes a fielder out of his way who is in the 
act of fielding a batted or thrown ball. 

The moment the base runner reaches first base it 
becomes his imperative duty to reach second base at 
every risk short of a certainty of being put out. He 
has no time to waste, for if the pitcher does his duty, 
and sends in balls so as to force the batsman to strike 
at them, the runner will find himself "forced" off his 
base under too disadvantageous circumstances to avoid 
being put out. The point is to be actively on the alert 
to steal another base the moment the first base is 
reached, and not to wait to be batted around. A 
good base runner needs to have his wits about him all 
the time, and to act promptly and without hesitancy. 
In fact, a base runner who hesitates is lost. Base 
runners must bear in mind that they have not the 
right of way on the base paths when fielders are 
fielding batted balls, as in such cases they must avoid 
obstructing a fielder in any way. 

Balls are batted "fair" or "^four' according as they 
fall on fair or foul ground ; fair grou?id being that 
portion of the field lying in front of the foul lines from 
home base to the boundary of the field to the right or 
left ; and foul ground sdl that portion of the ground 
lying back of these lines. There is an exceptional 
rule, however, in respect to foul balls, which makes a 
distinction between a ball hit direct to the ground 
from the bat, and that hit up in the air. In the for- 
mer case if the ball is hit direct to the ground from 



l6 HOW TO PLAY BASE BALL. 

the bat, and, after striking fair ground, either rebounds 
or rolls on to foul ground it becomes foul, and if it be 
similarly hit foul and then rolls or rebounds on to fair 
ground it becomes fair; provided, that this change of 
position of the ball occurs before the ball passes either 
first or third bases. Under the revised rules of 1889, 
the batsman cannot be put out by a caught foul ball 
sharp from the bat while the catcher is standing up 
close behind the batsman. 

PROFESSIONAL BALL PLAYING. 

Up to 1868 the laws of the then existing National 
Association prohibited the employment of any paid 
player in a club nine; but so strong did the rivalry be- 
come between leading amateur clubs of the principal 
cities where the game was then in full operation, that 
the practice of compensating players had worked its 
way to an extent which entirely nullified the law. 
Finally at the Convention of 1868, the rule dividing 
the fraternity into two distinct classes was adopted, and 
in 1869, the first regular professional Club — the Cin- 
cinnati Red Stockings— took their place in the arena, 
and during the campaign of that year they 
encountered every strong Club in the country from 
Maine to California, and they met with such remark- 
able success as to make their career in that year note- 
worthy in the history of the game. 

The success of the Red Stockings in 1869 led to the 
organization of other nines of that class, and by 1871 
the professional Clubs had become numerous and in- 



HOW TO PLAY BASE BALL. I7 

fluenlial enough to establish a professional Associa- 
tion of their own; and accordingly in that year the 
first series of championship contests under a regular 
ofificial code of rules was established, and since then 
the professional contests have been the most interesting 
base ball events of each season. 

With the introduction of professional base ball play- 
ing came sundry evils under the rule of pool gambling, 
which at one time threatened the very existence of the 
base ball fabric. This reached such a point of rotten- 
ness that the patrons of the game at the professional 
grounds became disgusted, and the interest in the 
leading contests of the period fell off to such an ex- 
tent that the prominent professional club men, finan- 
cially interested, found that nothing but the most 
stringent measures would save their clubs from bank- 
ruptcy. It was at this time that the "National League 
of Professional Base Ball Clubs" was organized, and in 
1876 this League superseded the old Professional 
National Association; and from its advent the evils 
which had threatened the life of the game were gradu- 
ally removed, as far as the prohibition of pool 
gambling in connection with the game was concerned, 
no pools being allowed to be sold on any League 
Club grounds, or even open betting permitted, un- 
der the penalty of the expulsion of the Club from the 
League which disobeyed the mandate. But no sooner 
was this trouble removed than a new abuse sprang 
into existence, and that was the evil technically 
known as ''revolving." The rivalry existing between 
the League Clubs led to such efforts to strengthen 



l8 HOW TO PLAY BASE BALL. 

their respective club teams that underhand methods 
were used to induce strong players to secede from 
their home clubs and join those of a rival club whose 
financial resources were such as to admit of their pay- 
ing higher salaries. This new trouble was increased 
by the organization in 1882 of a rival professional 
League known as the American Association; inasmuch 
as after the National League Clubs had agreed not to 
steal one another's players they offset their reform by 
stealing those of the American Association Clubs. In 
addition a revolt took place among certain leading 
players, which was brought about by the adoption of 
the rule of reserving certain players each season, and 
through the revolt a new League was organized, known 
as the Union Association, which offered a sort of sanc- 
tuary for offending '' revolvers," alike from the 
National League and the American Association. But 
experience soon taught all three of the professional 
associations that " revolving " was an evil that must 
be done away with at any cost, so the National League, 
the American Association and the Western League 
formed a compact together known at first as the trip- 
artite agreement, and afterwards as the " National 
Agreement," by which they united their forces and 
combined their interests in such a way as to deprive 
the revolvers' organization — the Union Association — 
of its means of existence, and finally it disbanded, the 
League forgiving its offending players and taking them 
one and all into camp again. From that time to the 
present the League and the American Association 
have stood shoulder to shoulder under the influence of 



How TO PLAY BASE BALL. IQ 

the National Agreement, which was strengthened and 
improved each year, until these two organizations 
became the controlling legislative power of the entire 
professional fraternity. Since this union for preserva- 
tion occurred minor Leagues have sprang into exist- 
ence under the sheltering wing of the two leading 
associations, until the time arrived for the introduction 
of one set of rules governing the entire professional 
fraternity, and this is the position the professional 
clubs and their Leagues and Associations occupy to 
this day. The grand result of this union of forces for 
the benefit of the majority his been to drive pool 
gambling out of the professional arena, and to put an 
entire stop to the revolving evil, and with this has 
come implicit public confidence in the integrity of the 
professional methods which now govern the fraternity 
at large. 

Professional ball playing has of late years taken 
giant strides in popularity; and this advance has been 
largely due to the fact that stock compiuiy base ball 
organizations have found it absolutely necessary to 
their pecuniary interests, in investing their capital, 
that the game should be played in its integrity. 
Honesty in the ranks was several years ago shown to 
be not only the best policy to pursue, but a vital 
necessity in the preservation of the very life of 
professional playing. "Crookedness" among profes- 
sional base ball players hai been weeded out from 
the fraternity by strong coercive measures; and the 
lesser evils which have brought discredit on the class, 
are rapidly being eliminated from the game by 



66 HOW TO PLAY RASE BALL. 

means of the repressive rules of the comprehensive 
"national aofreemcnt," which joins ever\' well con- 
ducted professional organization in a combined effort 
to make professional ball playing an honorable oc- 
cupation. 

Within the last two or three years there has been a 
marked improvement in the character and standing 
of professluiial ball pla3'ers. Tempted by the lucra- 
tive advantages of becoming a professional ball 
player, young men of marked intelligence and of 
superior education to the general class of the fraternity 
have entered the arena, and with the advent of this 
latter class of men has come a higher degree of in- 
tegrity in the occupation. In fact, it is no longer 
considered discreditable to engage in the occupation 
of a j^rofessional ball player as it was a decade past, 
when the professional exemplars of the game were a 
few of them under the influence of the pool-gambling 
element. And just here, let it be stated, that the 
professional stock company organizations never ad- 
ministered a severer blow to dishonesty in the ranks 
than when they prohibited pool gambling on all 
professional association club grounds. There never 
has been, nor is now, a greater evil connected with 
all American sports tnan tne curse of pool selling, 
which is the blight of all honorable professional work 
in sports of all kinds. Fo'-tunately our national 
game is sufficiently attractive to draw crowded as- 
semblages of spectators by its own healthy excitement, 
without the extrinsic aid of the pool box to attract 
large gatherings of peojole. 



THE ART OF i'lTCHING. 



THE ART OF PITCHING. 



THE DELIVERY OF THE BALL. 

There are five distinct methods of delivering the 
ball to the bat in base ball, the pitcher having the 
choice of the simple toss of the ball, the Jerk^ the 
regular pitchy or the underhand or overhand throw. 
He also has the choice of the round-arm form of de- 
livery, as practiced by the bowler in cricket. This 
latter form, however, is rarely used. The prevailing 
rule of delivery, is that of the underhand and over- 
hand throw, the latter now being legal under all the 
codes of rules. With the choice of such a variety of 
forms of delivery at command, it will be seen that 
the pitcher only needs to attain that degree of pro- 
ficiency in pitching which will give him perfect con- 
trol of the ball, as regards accuracy of aim, combined 
with the power to impart that bias to the ball which 
yields the puzzling curve in the line of its delivery, to 
place him in the position of being able to take every 
advantage of the additional aid strategy will give him 
in fully acquiring the art of effective pitching. 

The rule governing the pitcher in delivering the 
ball to the bat is as follows : 



22 THE ART OF PITCHING. 

" Rule i8. The pitcher shall take his position 
facing the batsman with both feet square on the 
ground, one foot on the rear line of the 'box.' He 
shall not raise either foot, unless in the act of delivering 
the ball, nor make more than one step in such delivery. 
He shall hold the ball, before the delivery, fairly in 
front of his body, and in sight of the umpire. When 
the pitcher feigns to throw the ball to a base he must 
resume the above position and pause momentarily 
before delivering the ball to the bat.'^ 

The correct definition of this rule is that the pitcher 
is debarred from lifting the foot which rests on the 
rear line of his position until the ball actually leaves 
his hand. In fact, as it is from the pressure of this 
foot on the ground which enables him to give the ball 
its last impetus in delivery, it necessarily follows that 
in lifting the rear foot before the ball leaves his hand 
he takes two steps in the act of delivery, and this 
double step the rule explicity prohibits. In feigning 
to throw the ball to the base it will be seen that he 
must immediately thereafter resume the original 
position of standing squarely on the ground and 
facing the batsman, and make a pause before attempt- 
ing to deliver the ball to the bat. Should he feign to 
throw to a base and then by the same motion throw 
the ball to the bat, he violates the rule and commits a 
balk. This violation of the rule is defined in Rule 32 
which states that: 

''Rule 32. A balk is 

Sec. I. Any motion made by the pitcher to deliver 



THE ART OF PITCHING. 23 

the ball to the bat vviihoiit delivering it, and shall be 
held to include any and every accustomed motion 
with the hands, arms or feet, or position of the body 
assumed by the pitcher in his delivery of the ball, and 
any motion calculated to deceive a base runner^ except 
the ball be accidentally dropped. 

Sec. 2. The holding of the ball by the pitcher so 
long as to delay the game unnecessarily ; or 

Sec. 3. Any motion to deliver the ball, or the 
delivering the ball to the bat by the pitcher when 
any part of his person is upon ground outside of the 
lines of his position, including all preliminary motions 
v/ith the hands, arms and feet." 

It will be seen that the pitcher is required to be 
very guarded in his strict observance of this rule. The 
penalty of a '' balk " is the giving of a base runner 
occupying a base the succeeding base. 

In the case of ^'' an illegal delivery'' of the ball tc 
the bat the batsman also takes a base, but not other- 
wise, and a ball is illegally delivered to the bat when- 
ever the pitcher in the act of such delivery steps out- 
side of his position ; takes two steps in delivery, or, 
after feigning to throw the ball to catch a runner off 
a base, fails to pause and take his original position be- 
fore delivering the ball to the bat. 



24 THE ART OF PITCHING. 

THE CORRECT POSITIONS- 

The pitcher can no longer take up the old familiar 
position in delivery in vogue prior to 1888, and which is 
shown in the appended cut, a position which enabled 
him to keep the ball behind his back prior to its direct 
delivery 




The above position, when about to deliver the ball, 
is now prohibited, and he must stand in the manner 
described in the new rule which says : "The pitcher 
shall take his position facing the bats7nan, with both 



THE ART OF PITCHINCx. 



25 



feet squarely on the ground, the right foot on tlie 
rear h'ne of the 'box.' This correct position is shown in 
the appended cut." 




Under the new code of rules of 1889 the pitcher 
can place his rear foot on any part of the rear line, 
and is not required to step forward and place his 
right foot on the left of the centre line of his position 
as under the code of rules of 1888. 



26 



THE ART OF PITCHING. 



In throwing the ball to the bat his position just as 
he is about to take the forward step would be like 
that .shown in the appended cut. 




STRATEGY IN PITCHING. 

"What is strategy in base ball pitching?" is a per- 
tinent question. The reply is, that it is a resort to 
legitimate artifice to deceive the judgment of the bats- 



THE ART OF PITCHING. 27 

man. The priinary elements of successful strategic 
play in pitching may be summed up inbrief as follows : 
First, to deceive the eye of the batsman in regard to 
the character of the delivery of the ball, as to its 
being fast or slow. Second, to deceive his judg- 
ment in reference to the direction of the ball when 
pitched to him, as to its being high or low, or where 
he wants it. Third, to w^atch the batsman closely 
so as to know just when he is temporarily "out of 
form" for making a good hit; and Fourth, to tempt 
him with a ball which will be likely to go high from 
his bat to the outfield and be caught. 

The moment a strategic pitcher faces a batting 
opponent he begins to study up the peculiar style of 
handling his bat, with a view to discovering his weak 
points in batting. He observes how he holds his bat 
to begin with, and if he finds that it is not held so 
as to be well poised over his shoulder, ready for an 
effective forward swing to meet the ball, he counts it 
a point in his fiivor. The same, too, if the batsman 
holds his bat out in front of him, drawing it back as 
he prepares to meet the ball. Then the pitcher 
watches the character of the batsman's stroke, so as 
to note whether he swings his bat forward with a 
sharp, quick wrist stroke, or in the "slugging" style of 
hitting at the ball from the shoulder. The former 
style of stroke is likely to be effective against a 
swiftly pitched ball, while the latter generally f^iils 
unless designed to meet a comparatively slow ball. 
Another strong point in strategic pitching is catch- 



28 THE ART OF PITCHING. 

ing a batsman "out of form." In fact, the pitcher 
should deliver the ball at the very outset with the 
view of getting his man out of form, and this he 
can generally do by sending in what may be termed 
"aggravating balls," that is, balls near enough within 
reach to make the batsmen want to hit at them, and 
yet too far away for effective hitting. A ball close 
in, followed by a wild pitched ball, keeps the bats- 
man's nerves in tension ; and this, with his constant 
expectancy of a good ball, and his disapponitment at 
not getting one, causes him to become impatient, and 
then he temporarily gets out of his position of 
readiness to hit, and just then is the pitcher's op- 
portunity for a quickly delivered ball over the base 
and at the legal limit, and if this is " done well 
when it is done" a calletl strike, or a poorly hit ball, 
is almost an invariable result. The catcher's assis- 
tance is needed in playing this jDoint, for unless the 
catcher returns the ball to the pitcher quickly and 
accurately, the latter cannot avail himself of the 
chance to catch the batsman napping. The pitcher 
should consider the batsman as one o^Dcn to a suc- 
cessful attack whenever the latter relaxes his sharp 
watching of the delivery of the ball, or fails to be in 
perfect readiness to meet it. 

Another very efTective point in strategic pitching 
is a thoroughly disguised change of pace in delivery. 
This is difficult of attainment, and as a general rule it 
can only be played with effect on the careless class 
of batsmen. It is absolutely requisite that the dis- 



THE ART OK PITCHING. 29 

guise of the delivery should be complete, or other- 
wise the batsman will have time to prepare himself 
for the change of pace. The change from a very 
swiftly pitched ball to a medium pace or slow ball 
should' largely depend upon the condition of prepara- 
tion the batsman is In to meet the ball. If he is seen 
to be ready to make a quick wrist jolay stroke, then 
a swift ball over the plate would not be timely. 
Or if he is a "slugger" and is ready to hit from the 
shoulder, a slow ball would be just what would suit 
him. It is extremely bothering to the general class 
of batsmen to have a swiftly pitched ball flash by 
him when he is looking for a comparatively slow ball; 
and, vice versa^ a slow ball proves troublesome when 
the actions of the pitcher lead the batsman to expect 
a fast ball. 

It is a point of strategic play in pitching to avoid 
sending in a ball which is over the base and within the 
legal limit, as long as it can safely be done. When the 
batsman is seen to be ready for a straight ball, the 
pitcher should avoid sending the ball in over ''the plate." 
When he does send it over the plate it should be when 
the batsman is not ready to meet it. The point is to 
keep the ball close to the limits but not within the 
legal range, except when it becomes too costly not to 
do so, and that is when three balls have been called. 
If a batsman takes his stand in a leisurely kind of 
manner, as if he was going to get ready to hit just 
when it suited him and no sooner, it is safe to send 
the ball in right over the plate at the outset, and 



3© THE ART OF PITCHING 

within the lej^al range, liiit if the batsman is one who 
gets right into form for hitiing the moment he takes 
his stand, it is better to keep the ball wide of the 
straight mark, even to the extent of having two or 
three balls called, as then there is a chance of tiring 
him out so as to break up his good form for hitting. 
It is the part of a skillful strategist in pitching, never 
to let his batting opponent see that he is ''rattled'^ 
by " punishment," and this term " punishment," by 
the way, does not mean base hits made from his 
pitching without regard to the runs they may 
yield being earned or not, but only base hits scored 
before three distinct chances for outs off the pitch- 
ing have been afforded the fielders and have not been 
accepted. A pitcher is only '* punished " — in the 
technical application of the term — when runs are 
really earned off his pitching. Suppose the pitcher 
sends in a ball which the batsman hits in the air and 
which affords an easy chance for a catch, but through 
bad play the chance is not accepted. And suppose 
that the next batsman taking his stand has three 
strikes called on him, and on the third strike the 
catcher fails both to catch the ball, or to throw the 
runner out at first base. And then suppose that the 
third batsman hits a short ball toward third base, and 
the ball is thrown too low or too high for the first 
baseman to hold it in time, and the third chance for 
m out is lost, and then base hit after base hit be 
made. Such hits cannot justly be charged as punish- 



THE ART OF PITCHING. 3I 

ing the pitcher, as, but for poor fielding, the side 
would have been out without a run having been 
made or a single base hit scored. Where failures of 
this kind occur, they should not be allowed to discon- 
cert the pitcher, nor cause him to be "rattled," as 
they do not in the least militate against the effective 
character of his work. But when base hits are made 
and runs are scored before three plain chances have 
been afforded the fielders for outs, then it is projDer 
to charge the pitcher with punishment. Kven then 
it is his point to play to control his chagrin at the un- 
toward result, and to endeavor to make up for the 
punishment by improved play in his position. This 
however, can only be done through thorough control 
of temper, aided by plucky, nervy, up-hill work in 
recovering the lost ground. 

The rule of success in strategic jDitching is never to 
send in a ball to suit the batsman unless you are 
obliged by the circumstances of the case to do so. 
The strategist learn« how to pretend to do this with- 
out actually doing it, and therein lies his art as a 
strategist. 

CURVING THE BALL. 

The curve-line of delivery was first practically 
developed in pitching, by Arthur Cummings of the 
old Star nine of Brooklyn. It had frequently been 
noticed that many players in throwing the ball in 
from the out-field would throw it in in such a way as 
to make it curve through the air, and in such a line of 



32 



THE ART OF PITCHING. 



motion as to prove conclusively that tlie curved line 
was produced by some force other than the eflect of 
the wind, or that of gravity. When this curve was 
practically brought to bear in pitching, it led to quite 
a controversy among scientific men in our colleges, 
such a thing as a horizontal curve bemg imparted to 
a ball in its passage through the air, having been re- 
garded as an impossibility. It was conclusively 
proved, however, by a practical test in Cincinnati, — 
referred to elsewhere — and the solution of the problem 
turned out to be a very simple matter. The introduc- 
tion of the curve made quite a revolution in the 
pitching department, and little else was thought of 
for a few seasons, a.^an element of success in pitching, 
until the batting began to recover from the demoral- 
izing effect the curve had had upon it. Now, how- 
ever, something more than either mere speed or the 
curve has been found necessary to give the attacking 
force a winning advantage over the defence in the 
base ball field, and it has been found necessary to 
combine strategy with the other essential elements of 
success in pitching. As before remarked, the three 
great elements of effective pitching in base ball, are: 
First, thorough command of the ball, witho;'t which, 
strategic play in the position is next to impossible. 
Second, the power to send in the ball with speed, and 
also the power to impart that peculiar bias or "twist" 
to the ball, which produces the curved line in all its 
variations: and Third, the endurance to stand the 
fatigue of the work of swift pitching, and the 



THE ART OP PITCHING. 33 

pluck and nerve to coolly stand the hot fire of the hit- 
ting which marks a successful punishment of swift 
curved pitching by experienced and skillful batsmen. 
Combined with these is the sfreat essential of stratesfic 
skill In pitching, without which element, no pitcher 
can ever reach the goal of complete success in his 
position. We shall take up these elements in regular 
order, fully illustrating the merits and points of each 
in a separate chapter. 

COMMAND OF THE BALL. 

The first essential in base ball pitching is a 
iho7'ough cojnmand of the ball. A pitcher may 
possess the power to pitch swiftly, to curve the ball 
and the judgment to excel in strategy; yet of what 
avail are these essentials unless he has thorough 
control of the ball in delivery? Therefore the very 
first thing a novice in the art of pitching should do 
at the very outset of his learning how to pitch, is to 
obtain complete control of the ball in pitching so 
that he may be able to send it in just where he wants 
it to go. Especially is this command of the ball 
necessary in the use of the curve. Of what advantage 
to a pitcher is the power to curve the ball, unless he 
can control It so as to make his delivery accurate, or 
to use it or not, as occasion may require? In fact, 
the full effect of the power to curve the ball can only 
be realized when that power is one the pitcher can 
use at will. It is frequently as effective to temporarily 
drop the curve delivery as It Is to send in the curve 



34 I'HE ART OF PITCHING. 

ball when it is not looked for. Then, too, it is essen- 
tial to change the direction of the curve from an ''out- 
curve" to an "in curve," and from an "up-shoot" to a 
"down-shoot," and this can onl}- be done when the 
pitcher has every such movement of the ball under 
complete control. Pitchers frequently have full com- 
mand of one kind of a "curve" or "shoot" of the ball, 
while the other comes to them only by chance, as it 
were. This fault should be obviated by a thorough 
study of the subject, so as to remedy the difficulty by 
becoming as familiar with one curve as with the other. 
All this involves complete command of the ball and 
this jDoint of effectiveness must be reached by attentive 
and constant practice before the pitcher can fully avail 
himself of the valuable assistance of stragetic play 
in his position. 

SPEED IN DELIVERY. 

The effectiveness of mere speed in pitching depends 
largely upon the character of the batting the pitcher 
has to face, and also upon the ability of the catcher 
to stand the hot fire of the delivery. Weak and 
timid batsmen who fear the speed of the pitching too 
much to be able to use their judgment in facing it, 
and who only think of the best way to avoid being 
hit, can readily be intimidated by ver}^ swift pitching 
so as to be struck out with ease. But when a nervy 
plucky batsman faces a swift delivery, and brings 
his judgment to bear on the tactics of the attacking 
force, it is found that mere speed costs more in wild 



THE ART OF FITCHixNG. 35 

pitches, and called and passed balls than it yields in 
outs or strikes. Besides which, such class of batsmen 
frequently find opportunities to punish the mere 
swift pitching by quick wrist-play batting long before 
the third strike is called from it. In fact, speed in 
delivery is only advantageous when it is made part 
and parcel of strategic work in pitching, and not when 
it is the only feature of a pitcher's work in the "box." 
There were several very striking illustrations of 
the inferiority of mere swift pitchers to strategists 
in the "box" afforded during the season of 1888 
strategy taking an important lead over mere speed in 
delivery. 

THE CURVE. 

How to impart the bias to the ball which causes it 
to make a curved horizontal line in its j-jrogrcss to 
the bat, is a very important part of the practical 
knowledge of the art of pitching. A glance at the 
theory of the curve will enable the young pitcher to 
get the idea as to how it is done, and then he can 
very readily find out by practical experience the best 
way to carry it into effect. The theory of making a 
ball curve to the right or left horizontally in its pass- 
age through the air, is based on the fact that there is 
a retarding effect produced on that side of the ball 
which passes through the air quicker than the other 
side; and to produce this additional rapidity of motion 
a rotary movement is given to the ball as it leaves 
the pitcher's hand which causes it to revolve on its 
own axis horizontally as it passes through the air; 



36 



THE ART OF PITCHING. 



and the natural effect is to retard its progress on one 
side, thereby causing it to make a curved line in the 
direction of the side on which it is retarded. That is 
the theory of the hoiizontal curve in pitching. Iti 
application in practice is to learn to give the ball the 
necessary bias or rotary motion to the right or the 
left in order to produce the in-curve or the out-curve. 
For instance, the appended diagram illustrates the 
lines of direction of a curved ball, the straight arrov\' 
showing the forward motion of ball through the air, 
and the bent arrow the rotary movement on the 
ball's own axis. The bias to the rii^ht or the left, is 
imparted by a movement of the wrist. It is impossi- 
ble to describe tlie action of the hand and wrist in 
imparting this bias to the ball, the only wa}^ of ac- 
quiring a practical knowledge of it being by the 
example of an exj^ert curve pitcher, or by testing it 
by repeated trials until the curve is attained. The 
diagram above referred to is as follows: 




THE ART OF PITCHING. 



37 

The methods of grasping the ball when about to 
curve it are shown in the appended cuts: 




IN CURVE. 



OUT CURVE, 



The effect of the bias given the ball in causing it to 
make a curve to the right or left, is governed by the 
speed of the delivery, as well as the rapidity of the 
rotary motion of the ball on its own axis. Thus, as 
the speed of the forward motion of the ball relaxes, 
the bias given it begins to take effect, and just as the 
rotary motion is rapid or moderate, so is the curve 
greater or lesser. The great point in curve pitching is 
to combine with the power of curving the ball that of 
controlling its direction so as to send it in over the 
home base, and within the legal radius as occasion re- 
quires. It is comparatively easy work to send a ball 
in fast, and at the samQ time to curve it to the right 
or the left ; but the great point is at the same time to 
direct it over the home base. Whenever a pitcher 
possesses sufficient command of the ball to admit of 
his sending in a swift curved line ball just where he 
wants it to go, he becomes " a b.id man " for any bats- 
man to face, provided, of course, that with such com- 
mand of the ball he also knows how to avail himself of 
skillful strategy in his pitching. 



38 THE ART OF PITCHING. 

It should be borne in mind in using the curve that 
the speed of the dehvery has a great deal to do with 
the distance from the hand of the pitclier that the 
curve in the line of the ball will begin to manifest 
itself, as also the speed of the rotary motion of the 
ball on its own axis. This is shown in the fact of the 
difference between the curve of a ball pitched forward 
swiftly, but with a comparatively slow twist imparted 
to it, and a ball pitched forward at a medium pace 
with a very swift twist given it. 

The following is the theoretical description of the 
curve : 

The ball in its flight is retarded in its forward 
motion by the resistance in the air, which acts upon it 
precisely as though the ball were at rest, and the wind 
blowing against it at a rate equal to the motion of the 
ball. This exerts a pressure on the front of the ball 
and a friction on its sides, just as the water so mani- 
festly does upon a vessel. If the ball is merely mov- 
ing straight forward, the friction is the same on top 
and on bottom, right and left, and the effect is only to 
slow the forward motion. But if the ball rotates as 
well as moves forward, we have a changed relation — 
a part of the ball's surface is moving against the air 
with greater rapidity than the rest, as a diagram will 
make clear. If the ball (or strictly centre of gravity) 
is moving forward (let us say at the rate of one hund- 
red feet per second), and at the same time it is revolv- 
ing so that points on its equator are traveling around 
its centre at an equal rate, it is evident that ^/is travel- 



THE ART OF PITCHING. 39 

ing bachvard ^s fast as the ball, as a whole, moves 
forward ; while b is moving forward at its own rate 
plus that of the centre — that is, twice as fast as c. As 
the friction of the air increases with the velocity of 
the moving object, it must be greatest at b and least at 
</, being really zero at d under the conditions given. 
The b side of the ball is therefore retarded more than 
the centre or any other part, while the d side suffers no 
retardation. Tne result must be a curve toward the 
retarded side. When the rotation is on a nearly verti- 
cal axis, this effect will be at its maximum, and, ac- 
cording to the direction of its "twist," the ball will 
curve to the right or to the left— "^V or 'W/." 




In this explanation the effect of gravity is assumed 
to be nearly a constant force, and not knowing the 
approximate velocity of "swift pitching," I do not 
attempt to consider whether the resistance of the air 
is proportional in this case to the first power, the 
square or the cube of the velocity. These points can 
affect the question of degree only. 

This theory of the curving of the ball should be well 
studied up by every pitcher desirous of improving 
himself in his work. The more it is studied the more 
will possibilities for new points of strategic play in 
the position be developed. 



40 THE ART OF PITCHING. 

THE VARIOUS DELIVERIES. 

The following are professional instructions in the 
del. very of the various curves. 

STRAIGHT DELIVERY. 

Grasp the ball securely between the first and second 
fingers with the thumb on the opposite side, the other 
fingers being closed in the palm of the hand. Deliver 
the ball to the batsman with all possible speed, either 
by a straight throw from the shoulder or by an under- 
hand throw at a level with the waist. In this, as well 
as all other deliveries of the ball, the pitcher should 
exert himself to retain absolute command of the ball 
if possible. 

IN-CURVE. 

Grasp the ball securely with all the fingers, the 
thumb pressed firmly against the opposite side. 
Throw the ball at a height equal to the shoulder, and 
at the instant of releasing it from the hand twist 
quickly outward, allowing the ball to twist off the ends 
of the first two fingers. 

OUT CURVE. 

Secure the ball in the hand by pressing it firmly 
between the first two fingers and the thumb, with the 
third and little fingers closed in the palm of the hand. 
In delivering the ball to the batsman throw the arm 
forward midway between the shoulder and waist, and 
at the moment of releasing the ball, turn or twist the 
hand quickly to the left. 



THE ART OF PITCHING. 41 

HIGH IN-CURVE. 

Hold the ball between the first two fingers and the 
thumb. Throw the arm forward with the hand above 
the shoulder. Twist the hand downward smartly, 
letting the ball roll off the ends of the fingers as the 
grasp is released. 

A RISING BALL. 

In getting the " raise " the body should be bent well 
forward, the ball taken the same as in out-curving, 
bringing the arm close to the body and the hand 
on a level with the knee, the ])alm of the hand turned 
up, and the ball let go when the arm is at its full 
length. The style of a delivery is very easy on the 
arm. 

A SHOOTING BALL. 

This curve, or shoot, is produced by rolling the ball 
offthetipsof the first two fingers^ with the palm of 
the hand facing forward. The arm should be well 
drawn back, and with a full swing brought forward on 
a line with the shoulder; the elbow is bent in towards 
and across the chest, at the same time bending the 
wrist and shooting out the arm with the elbow turned 
as much as possible to the left. The greater the speed 
the more ''shoot" the ball will take, while too much 
speed will take the curve entirely out of the " out " 
and " drop " balls. 

THE DROP BALL. 

The drop ball requires more twisting of the body 
and arm than the other curves, and few men remain 



42 THE ART. OF PITCHING. 

long in the box who follow up this style of pitching. 
The way of getting the drop ball is to give the arm a 
jerk and send the ball more from the side. Bufhnton 
gets his hand as high as his head, with a long swing, 
shoots the ball from his thumb and two first fingers 
with the palm turned up. He starts the ball as high 
as the batsman's shoulder, and snaps it in such a 
way that it seems to drop two feet in the space of two 
yards. 

It would seem that all tliese curves would make a 
pitcher invincible, but they amount to little if the 
man using them has not full control of the ball and 
can disguise his delivery as well as change his pace 
without the batsman noticing it. 

DISGUISED CHANGE OF PACE. 

One of the most elTective points of play in pitching 
is a well disguised change of pace in delivery. 
Nothing bothers a batsman more than to be prepared 
to strike quickl}-- at a swiftly pitched ball only to 
find that his stroke has been too quick to meet the 
ball squarely on the face of the bat, owing to the 
lessened sj^eed of its delivery. The same, too, when 
in anticipation of a slow or medium paced ball he hits 
right out from the shoulder, only to see the ball 
flash by his bat at the utmost speed of the pitcher. 
It requires a keen-sighted, nervy, and experienced 
batsman to be ready to meet a well disguised change 
of pace with any effect. Of course it will not do for 
the pitcher to openly make a chan ge in the speed of 



THE ART OF PITCHING, 



43 



the ballj as all its efFectiveness lies in his deceiving 
the judgment of the batsman as to the pace of the 
ball. To make the preliminary movements of a 
swift delivery, and then to be able to suddenly 
lessen the strength of the throw, without any ap- 
parent change of motion in the act of throwing, is 
not a very easy task. It can be done, however, and 
has been, and W'.th telling effect on the large majority 
of batsmen. It is an especially effective point when 
facing one of the class of heavy hitting batsmen, the 
regular "slugging" home run hitters, who, as a 
general rule know rather less about scientific batting 
ihsLKx the youngsters of a school boy nine. 

The pitcher should make a point of practicing this 
change of pace so as to thoroughly disguise the differ- 
ence in the speed of the ball. If done well and so as 
to deceive the batsman's judgment as to the speed of 
the coming ball it will invariably yield a strike 
called, or an easy chance to throw the runner from 
home base out. 

An essential aid in making this change of pace is to 
have a perfect understanding with your catcher as to 
the code of signals which will indicate to him that 
you are about to deliver a swift or a slow ball. This 
code should be arranged beforehand, or otherwise, if 
you send in a slow ball after a swift one, or vice 
versa, your catcher will be likely to have a passed 
ball charged to him. Of course the signals must be 
disguised as well as the change of pace, or all the 
strateofic effect will be lost. In changing from swift 



44 THE ART OF PITCHING. 

to slow in your pace, see that your slow ball is not 
such an one as would be likely to suit the batsman for 
a favorite hit, or, if it be so, be sure that you have 
your out-fielders prepared for the expected chance for 
a catch. There is no virtue in a slow b;dl itself, but 
only in the strategic skill accompanying its delivery. 
In the old days of Martin's pitching of slow balls, 
the effectiveness of his delivery was not in slow pace 
of the balls he sent in, but in his never sending in a 
ball to suit the batsman, it either being too far out or 
too close in, or too high or too low. When he did 
send in a slow, fair ball, it was when the batsman was 
found unprepared to meet it. 

CATCHING BATSMEN OUT OF FORM. 

A very effective point in pitching is to watch the 
movement of the batsman closely, while he is standing 
ready to strike, so as to catch him unprepared to hit 
a "straight " ball with any effect, the "straight ball " 
referred to being a ball over the plate and within the 
legal height. This catching the batsman out of form 
invariably yields a called strike or an out. To play 
the point effectually there requires to be an under- 
standing between the pitcher and the catcher, not 
only in order that the latter should be quick and 
prompt in his return of the ball to the pitcher, but 
that he should be on the alert for a rapid delivery of 
the ball from the pitcher in return. All such quick 
returns of the ball by the pitcher should invariably be 
accompanied by balls over the base and within the 



THK ART OF riTCHlNG. 45 

legal height, or the play will lose its point. In play- 
ing this " out of form racket " on the batsman, it is 
essential to watch the batsman closely and to note 
when he becomes impatient in waiting for a specially 
desired ball, and temporarily takes a rest, as it were ; 
then it is that he becomes open to this point of attack ; 
for he is then "out of form" for making an effect- 
ive hit. In sending in the ball when a batsman 
is thus caught out of form for good hitting, the 
pitcher must invariably send the ball in "over the 
base " and within the legal height, or his effort 
to catch the batsman napping will fail. It will be 
readily seen that marked command of the ball in 
delivery is very essential in playing this point. Of 
course tbe pitcher should watch the action of the 
batsman closely so as to be sure that he is not "playing 
possum" in pretending to be out of form when he 
is really wide awake to the attack, for this is a point 
for a skilful batsman to play on the pitcher. 

PLACING FIELDERS FOR SPECIAL 
HITS. 

Nearly every batsman has what he considers as his 
pet ball to hit at. In some cases it is a low ball, in 
others a high one; but whatever kind of ball it is, it 
is one which he has become accustomed to as a 
favorite ball to hit at, and it is a point for the pitcher 
to make to find out what it is, and when he does, to 
place his field to suit the special hit, and then to 
send in the pet ball for the batsman to hit at. The 
pitcher must first ascertain, however, that the pet 
ball is not one which yields a telling "grounder," but a 



46 



THE ART OF PITCHING. 



ball which almost invariably goes from the bat high 
in the air to the outer field. The class of batsmen 
who are most frequently caught napping in this way 
are the hard-hitting or "slugging" class, who go in 
more for home runs than for scientific batting. In 
playing this point, too, the pitcher must be careful to 
have his out-field judiciously placed, and to have re- 
liable judges of catches in position. 

CHANGE OF PLACE IN DELIVERY. 

Wlien the pitcher finds himself facing a skilful 
batsman, well up in strategic play in handhng the 




ajh,he will frequently find it advantageous to change 
the place of his delivery from the center of the "box" 
to the right or left of it. On a calculation of the 
swing of the bat meeting the ball at the home base, 
a center delivery would cause the ball to be returned 
almost direct to the pitcher. Supposing, however, 
the delivery is from the extreme right of the "box," 
and the ball should meet the same swing of the bat, 
the return of the ball would be to tlie extreme left of 



THE ART OF PITCHING. 47 

the box. This is shown in the diagram on the pre- 
ceding page. Tlie dotted line shows the direction of 
the ball from the bat. 

Of course the position in which the batsman stands 
changes the line of return of the ball materially. But 
a point can be made from it by close study. 

To get at the philosophy of this point the pitcher 
will find it necessary to study the theory of properly 
timing the hit in batting, which he will find illustrated 
by diagrams in the chapter on batting. It is surprising 
how much an intelligent pitcher will find to learn in 
studying up the philosophy of pitching and batting, 
that is if he desires to become a thorough expert, and 
not a mere " machine " player. 

PITCHING FOR CATCHES. 

It is frequently a good point for a pitcher to play 
to pitch for catches ; tha.t is, to send in good balls to 
the bat which will tempt the batsman to hit them 
high in the air, and then lay his whole field out for 
catches. Care, however, needs to be taken in playing 
this point, so as to be pretty certain that the pitching 
is faced by a poorer class of batsmen than ordinary. 
It won't do to try this dodge on first-class batsmen, 
for it would be soon taken advantage of and at con- 
siderable cost of base hits and earned runs. The 
batsmen most likely to fall into a trap of this kind 
are those of the class of "' sluggers " who go in for 
hard hitting and home runs at all costs. Those who 
wait for good balls and who are content with earning 
a single base by their hits, are not a safe class of bats- 



48 THE ART OF PITCHING. 

men to pitch to for catches. With the heavy hitting 
class, however, it is a pretty safe game to play, pro- 
vided that the pitcher has a sufficiently extensive out- 
field at command to admit of his men standing out far 
enough for the longest hit balls. In cases where the 
outfield fence is too close to the diamond, and long 
hit balls are likely to go over the fence, pitching for 
catches will not pay. 

CHANGE OF PITCHERS. 

The revised code of playing rules admit of the sub- 
stitution of a new phiyer in the nine in two instances. 
P'irst, in the case of a player who may be disabled 
from active work in the field by illness or injury; and 
secondly, in the selection of a reserved player, whom 
the Captain of the field nine has the power of placing 
in the field as a substitute for any player he desires to 
put off the nine, not on account of illness or injury 
but for strategic purposes. But it is required by the 
rules that nine men must constitute the field force, and 
no less number can legally be played in the field, and, 
of course, no greater number. It therefore follows 
that the Captain of the nine can change his pitcher — 
that is, substitute another one of his nine players as 
pitcher in the place of the regular pitcher — at his 
option. It is customary, as a point to play, to have 
a "change pitcher" in the nine, so that in case the 
regular pitcher becomes "rattled," or is being badly 
^'punished" by the batsman, a change of pitchers may 
be made with the view of keeping up the effec- 
tiveness of the attack. Of course as a point 



THE ART OF PITCHING. 



49 



to be played, the change pitcher should be one 
who is different in his style of delivery, or in the 
method of his peculiar tactics, for therein lies the ad- 
vantage of the change. If a skillful strategist in the 
position should find himself temporarily overpowered 
by a strong assault from the batting force, a change 
of pitchers which would substitute a swift machine 
pitcher, frequently proves advantageous. While, on 
the other hand, if the latter style of pitcher is the 
"regular" man in the position, and he is being pun- 
ished by the batsman, a change from the machine 
pitcher to the strategist comes into play with excel- 
lent effect. The point to be considered in changing 
pitchers, is, how to break up the feeling of confidence 
in hitting which the batting force benefits by when 
they are enabled to punish the pitching, and the 
change which will best do this is the change to be 
made. The reputation which a pitcher has in the fra- 
ternity, goes a great way in breaking up the confi- 
dence in hitting which batsmen suddenly attain in 
a match, for the batting force will frequently face 
a man comparatively unknown as a pitcher, with a 
degree of confidence which Is not felt when they face 
a noted pitcher. And it sometimes happens, thatan 
inferior pitcher will temporarily prove effective in the 
position in breaking up confidence in hitting, where 
a better pitcher wUl fail. All these points should be 
taken into consideration, not only when making a 
change of pitchers, but also, when placing a change 
pitcher in the nine to be used in case of need. 



CO THE ART OF PITCHING. 

THROWING TO BASES. 

A point of play, peculiar to old time pitchers, was 
that of throwing to bases to catch a base-runner nap- 
ping off the base. Experience, however, has so 
plainly shown that throwing to bases should be 
exceptional and not general, that it has gone out of 
use to a considerable extent. Of course it will not do 
for a pitcher to neglect throwing to bases; but it 
should only be done when he is very proficient in it, 
and never except by signal from the catcher. Under 
the existing rule applicable to balking, throwing to 
base by the pitcher has to be done very carefully in- 
deed, as regards the movement in throwing, in order 
to avoid the penalty for balking. The pitcher, in fact, 
can only safely throw to a base, while standing in the 
box, before he has made any single one of the move- 
ments he is accustomed to make preliminary to his 
delivery of the ball to the bat. Accurate throwing 
to a base trom the pitcher's position is difficult of at- 
tainment. As regards throwing to first base, that is 
the easiest base to throw to, and third base the most 
difficult. Taking the average result of throwing to 
bases, reliable data show that it is five to one in favor 
of the base-runner. The rule is to watch the bases 
closely, and make a frequent show of throwing, but 
only to let the ball go when a throw will be almost sure 
to tell. Under the new "National Rules" for 1889 
throwing to bases by the catcher will have to be very 
expertly done to be effective. 



THE ART OF PITCHING. 



A CATCHER'S ASSISTANCE. 

Pitchers should bear in mind the important faci 
that, no matter how slvillful they may be in the dcHv- 
ery of the ball to the bat, they must be largely de- 
pendent for success upon the character of the assist- 
ance rendered them by their catcher. It is especially 
a matter of the first importance to a strategic pitcher 
that he should have a first-rate man behind the bat to 
second him in all his little points of play. For this 
reason is it that pitchers and catchers should always 
work together in pairs. They should be familiar 
with each othei-'s 23ecuiiar methods of playing their 
respective positions. A first-rate catcher for one 
pitcher might be almost useless for another, as far as 
helping the pitcher in strategic play is concerned. 
Each should fully understand the other's signals in a 
match — the catcher those of the pitcher, so as to be 
able to be prepared for a sudden change of pace; and 
the pitcher those of the catcher, so as to know when 
the latter wants his partner to pitch for throwing to 
bases; for it is almost impossible for a catcher to do 
his best in throwing to bases unless the pitcher sends 
him in balls especially for that purpose. A jDitcher 
must largely d<.-pend upon his catcher in playing the 
point of catching a batsman " out of form," for unless 
the catcher is quick in returning the ball to the 



52 



THE ART OF PITCHING. 



pitcher the chance to play the point i-^ lost. Then, 
too, the catcher can materially aid the pitcher when 
the former happens to know the peculiar style of his 
batting opponent and the latter does not, by signaling 
to him what kind of ball to send in. 

BASE RUNNER'S DODGES. 

Of course the pitcher will not be allowed to mo- 
nopolize all the dodges and tricks of the game in 
playing points upon his adversaries in the diamond 
field: and among the latter who will avail themselves 
of artifices to bother and confuse the j^itcher in his 
work, are the base runners; and the pitcher, when 
antagonized by wil)' base runners, must learn to 
school himself to a condition of apparent iiidifFerence 
to the working of their little "racket." One of the 
most trying positions a pitcher has to encounter in a 
contest is that which occurs when a runner has se- 
cured third base before a single man of the batting 
side has been put out. This position of things is ag- 
gravated when, at the same time, there is another 
runner occupying first base and endeavoring to engage 
the pitcher's exclusive attention in order to enable his 
companion runner at third base to get home and 
score his riui. This is a situation which tries the 
nerve of a pitcher, and he never displays his skill in 
pitching more prominently than when he manages 
to keej) the runner on third until the side is put out, 
and his base running adversary at third base thereby 
gets left. In fact, this is a pretty good test of a 



THE ART OF PITCHING. 



53 



pitcher's talent as an able strategist. No mere machine 
pitcher can accomplish this feat; it requires a man 
well versed in " headvvork" pitching to do it. 

CONTROL OF TEMPER IN PITCHING. 

There are certain games in which thorough con- 
trol of temper is as necessary to success as special skill 
in any department of the game, ajid this is an import- 
ant essential in base ball. And in no position in the 
diamond field is it more requisite than in that of the 
occupant of the pitcher's " box." The pitcher who 
cannot control his temper is as unfit for his position 
as is a quick-tempered billiard player to excel as a 
winner in professional contests. Quick temper is the 
mortal foe of cool judgment, and it plays the mischief 
with that nervy condition so necessary in the develop- 
ment of skillful strategy. The pitcher must of neces- 
sity be subject to annoyances well calculated to try 
a man's temper; especially when his best efforts in 
pitching are rendered useless by the blunders of 
incompetent fielders, or he finds himself at the mercy 
of a prejudiced umpire. But under such trying cir- 
cumstances his triumph is all the greater if he can 
pluck victory out of the fire of such opposition. 

PITCHING AGAINST THE UMPIRE. 

The experience of pitchers has taught them that, 
as a general rule, Umpires are but fallible beings, and 
ti~.at their errors of judgment frequently militate 



54 THE ART OF PITCHING. 

greatly ag-ainst the success of a pitcher who avails 
himself of his skill as a strategist in the position. It 
frequently, therefore, becomes a point to play on tlie 
part of a pitcher to "pitch for the Umpire" in a match 
as well as against the batsman; and by this nothing 
is meant in the way of making that im^portant oiBcial 
the pitcher's adversary, but, on the contrary, to work 
on him in such a manner as to fjain his sfood will to 
the extent of inducing him to decide in favor of the 
pitcher rather than the batsman when there is a doubt 
in the matter of rendering a decision. 

For instance, when the pitcher sees that the Um- 
pire is more concerned about avoiding being hit by 
the ball, rather than about the accuracy of his rulings 
in calling "balls" and "strikes," he should avoid, as 
much as possible, sending in balls which are neither 
directly over the base nor yet so clearly not over 
as to leave a doubt as to the line of their delivery; 
because under such circumstances all such doubtful 
balls are apt to be more frequently called against the 
pitcher than in his favor. Nervy and plucky Um- 
l^ires who can coolly use their keenest judgment when 
facing the hot fire of a swift delivery, are sadly in the 
minority; and when a pitcher finds himself in the 
hands of an official who is apt to be disconcerted at 
times, he must suit his 23itching to the exigencies of 
the case, and, to a certain extent, jDitch for the Umpire, 
and not so as to annoy or intimidate him. Moreover, 
it is the height of folly on the part of a pitcher to 
work against the Umpire by repeated appeals for 



THE ART OF PITCHING. cr 

judgment on strikes, as it is simply a tacit questioning 
cither of his judgment or his impartiaHty. The pitcher 
should, by word as well as action, give the Umpire 
cO understand that he has implicit faith in his impar- 
tiality, and relies fully on the soundness of his judg- 
ment, and if he can make just such a tavorable 
impression on the Umpire as this apparent faith in 
liis ability leads to, the calling of balls will not be as 
fiequent as called strikes. A pitcher who, by word 
or action, incurs the prejudice of an Umpire in a 
riuitcli, is simply working against his own interests. 
To play points against the Umpire is simply to out- 
wit his judgment, and to avoid giving him any cause 
for irritation or ill will. 

BALKING. 

The fewer motions a pitcher has in delivery the less 
time the batsman has for judging the character of the 
ball ; besides which the base runner from first base to 
second is afforded less opportunity for successfully 
running his base when the pitcher has but few pre- 
liminary motions in pitching to the bat. 

Some pitchers have twice the number of motions in 
delivery when there are no runners on the bases to 
the number they have when one or more of the bases 
is occupied. The best plan, however, is to accus- 
tom yourself to a regular method of delivery involving 
the fewest motions possible. As a general rule a num- 
ber of preliminary motions in delivery fail to trouble 
any but a very poor batsman. In fact, they only serve 



56 THE ART OF PITCHING. 

to make him more on tlie alert in watching the ball 
than he otherwise would be. 

The new rules governing balks are so worded as to 
render it difficult for a pitcher to escape making a balk 
in throwing to bases, unless he makes his throw to the 
base before preparing to deliver the ball. A pitcher 
makes a balk under the new rules if he makes any one 
motion of the series he is accustomed to make in de- 
livering the ball to the bat. For instance, if he stands 
with his left leg bent at the knee ready for the pre- 
liminary step, and then moves to throw to a base he 
necessarily commits a balk, as he makes one of 
the niotions of liis feet the same as in delivering 
the ball to the bat. Therefore, in order to throw 
to a base he must stand with both feet on the ground 
just the same as he does when throwing to a base 
after fielding a ball from the bat. The most effective 
way of throwing to bases is to stand up straight and 
ready to throw to first base while looking at the 
catcher and awaiting the latter's signal 



THE ART OF PITCHING. 



57 




The above cut illustrates this preparatory ])osilion. 
BATTERY WORK. 

The pitcher and catcher in base ball are technically- 
called the " battery," and this team of two players 
are the main reliance of the attacking force in a con- 
test. An effective pitcher is a tower of strength in 
himself, and a good catcher is almost equally as valu- 
able, but unless they work together as a " team " they 



58 THE ART OF MTCHIXG. 

divide their strength and weaken their power in 
proportion. Pitchers and catchers should always work 
together in pairs. They should he familiar with each 
other's peculiar methods of playing their respective 
positions. A suitable catcher for one i^itcher, might 
be comparatively useless for another as far as helping 
the pitcher in strategic play is concerned. Each 
should fully understand the other's signals in a match 
— the catcher those of the pitcher, so as to be able to 
be prepared for a sudden change of pace, and the 
pitcher those of the catcher, so as to know when the 
latter wants his j^artner to pitch for throwing to 
bases; for the jiitcher should know that it is impos- 
sible for a catcher to do his best in throwing to bases, 
unless the pitcher sends him in balls especially for 
that purpose. 

An essential point in the formation of an effective 
"battery," is to pair the two men well together. 
Two mere "machine" players in the positions — that 
is, pitchers or catchers "svho never use "headwork" in 
their play — w^ill never work well together, nor will 
two strategists together fully develop the full 
strength of a "battery," as the former pair will only 
do mere mechanical work, and the latter are too likely 
to conflict in particular ideas as to which are the most 
effective points to play. 

PITCHING BY SIGNALS. 

The pitcher and catcher should have a code of 
signals between them, and thev should practice these 



THE ART OF PITCHING. rg 

signs until they can read them as easily as their 
letters. Thus, when the catcher sees an opportunity 
for the pitcher to catch a base player napping off his 
base, a certain signal should be given by which th& 
pitcher may understand that he is to throw to the 
base promptly. Again, if the pitcher is familiar with 
a certain habit of the batsman before him of hitting 
at a favorite ball, he should give the catcher a sign 
informing him that he is going to send in a slower or 
swifter ball or a higher or lower one than ordinarily 
is pitched. 

Suppose, for instance, that the striker, who has 
either been put out, or has made his base, was one to 
whom swift balls had been sent, and that his successor 
is one whom slow balls bother, the pitcher gives a 
sign to the catcher — one, of course, that cannot be 
observed by his opponents — to come up closer to the 
bat, thereby informing the catcher that he Is going to 
drop his pace in delivery; the batsman, not being 
aware of the proposed change, prepares himself to 
meet the same class of balls which were pitched to 
the batsman preceding him, and the result is, that 
the change of pace leads him to strike too quick at 
the ball. Of course, if this change had been indicated 
to the batsman by the call of the pitcher to the 
catcher to stand up close behind for the change of 
jDace, the batsman would have been placed upon his 
guard, and thereby would be prepared for the change; 
but this exposure of the design of the pitcher is 
prevented by the private signal, and the judicious 



6o THE ART OF PITCHING. 

manner in which the change is carried out. Just so, 
loo. is it when a change from slow to swift deHvery 
is made, a private signal intimating to the catcher to 
get back for swift balls. The catcher, too, should 
have a similar understanding with the out-fieldcrs 
who should watch him closely when a new batsman 
takes his stand at the home base — so that when any 
change of delivery by the pitcher is made, the catcher 
by a certain signal can either send the out-fielders 
further out or closer in, according as the chances of 
a long high ball or a short one from tho batsman 
are most probable. This strategical style of play is 
a great aid to success in all cases, but especially 
against inexperienced players, who do not perceive 
the "nice little game" that is being played upon them, 

AN ILLEGAL DELIVERY. 

The penalty of giving the batsman a base for an 
illegal delivery of the ball to the bat is applicable 
under the following violations of the balk rules. The 
pitcher illegally delivers the ball to the bat as follows: 
Firstly^ when he takes more than one step in deliv- 
ery. Secondly^ when he fails to take his stand to 
deliver with his pivot foot on the rear line of his posi- 
tion. Thirdly^ when he fails to hold the ball in plain 
sight of the Umpire when taking his stand to deliver 
it. Fourthly^ when he steps outside the lines of his 
position, and Fifthly when he fails to make a pause 
after feigning to throw to a base to put a runner out. 
All these violations of the balk rule, too, give all base 
runners a base as well as the batsman. 



THE ART OF PITCHING. 6l 

It will be seen that the pitcher now has to be on his 
guard against making the following costly errors in 
delivering the ball to the bat. Firsts against giving 
a base on called balls. Second^ against hitting the 
batsman with a pitched ball. Third, against giving 
base runners bases on a balk, and Fourth, against 
giving the batsman a base on an illegal delivery, 

THE RANGE OF THE BALL IN 
DELIVERY. 

An advantage the new rules give a pitcher lies in 
the abrogation of the rule which allowed the bats- 
man to call for a "high^' or " low " ball at his op- 
tion. Under the new rule governing the range of a 
fair ball in delivery, the pitcher fulfills the requirement 
of the rule if he sends in a ball so that it passes over 
the home base, anywhere above the line of the bats- 
man's knee, and not higher than the line of his 
shoulder. This rule does away with the difficulty 
the pitcher encountered under the previous rules of 
sending in waist-high balls, a ^^ high " ball beginning 
just above the line of the waist, and a "low" ball 
just below such line. This compensates for the re- 
duction of the called balls. The legal range in pitch- 
ing under the new code is shown in the appended cut 
on page 62. 



62 



THE ART OF PITCHING. 




HINTS TO PITCHERS. 

Out of Form. — When a pitcher sees a batsman 
standing carelessly at the bat and unprei)ared for the 
ball, a quick delivery will catch him *' out of form," 
and get a strike called or a poor hit from his failure 
to be ready to strike properly. 

Out Curve. — A ball which curves out from the 
batsman's position as it passes the home base. 

Pitcher's Points. — These are the four iron quoits 
laid down on the four corners of the pitcher's posi- 
tion. 

Punishing the Pitcher. — The pitcher is '* pun- 
ished " when the balls he ])itches to the bat are easily 
hit to the field in such a manner as to prevent them 



THE ART OF PITCHING. 63 

from being fielded in time to put either the batsman or 
base-runners out. No pitcher is " punished " simply 
because runs are easily scored by his opponents 
through errors, but only when bases are earned by 
clean hits off his pitching before three chances for out 
are offered off the pitching 

Pace. — This is the technical term applied to the 
degree of speed with which the ball is pitched to the 
bat. There are three degrees of pace, viz., Swift, 
medium and slow. 

Rising Ball.— A ball which rises on the line of its 
delivery to the bat. 

Unfair Ball is a ball delivered by the pitcher 
that does not pass over any part of the home base, or 
does not pass over the home base within the legal 
range. 

Wide Pitch. — This term is applied to a ball which 
is pitched over the catcher's head out of his reach, 
or so wide of his position, on one side or the other, 
as to be just as much out of reach as in the first in- 
stance. 

Before closing the chapters on pitching we wish to 
call the special attention of pitchers to Dr. A. H. P. 
Leuf's valuable treatise on The Hygiene for base ball 
players, published in Philadelphia, and for sale at 
Spalding & Brothers. It is a scientific work which dis- 
cusses the causes and treatment of the disabilities of 
pitchers in the failure of their pitching curves. The 
chapter on curve pitching is the most scientific treatise 
of the kind yet published. 



THE ART OF FIELDING. 



THH ART OF FIELDING. 



Sk. Infill fielding is by all odds the most attractive 
Icatiirc of the national game. It is something all 
can appreciate and imderstand. While scientific bat- 
ting is only appreciable by those who fully imder- 
stand the difficulties attendant upon it, fine play in 
the field can be enjoyed by every spectator, its beauties 
being as plainly apparent as is the characteristic blun- 
dering in the field of a mere novice in the art. In 
batting, however, while the great majority fully enjoy 
the dashing, splurgy, long-liit ball which yields a 
home run, it is only the minority who have sufficient 
knowledge of the "points" in the game to appreciate 
the scientific work of "facing for position," "timing 
the swing of the bat," "observing good form," and 
other i\ke points in team-work at the bat. But in 
fieldir.g, everyone in the general crowd of spectators 
knowy when a fine "pick-up" cf a hot grounder is 
made; or when a hot "liner" is handsomely caught 
on tlie fly; or a short high ball is held after a long 
run in for it from the outer field; or when an appar- 
ently safe hit to right field is changed into an out at 
first base by the active fielding and quick accurate 
throwing in of the ball to the first baseman by the 



THE ART OF FIELDING. 



65 



right-fielder. Then, too, the brilliant catching of the 
sw.!ft curved line balls from the pitcher by the catcher, 
and the splendid throwing of the latter to the bases; 
all these teatures of sharp and skillful fielding are 
evidences of good work which the veriest novice in 
the crowd can understand and appreciate. Hence it 
is that fielding is at once the most brilliant and at- 
tractive feature of base-ball. 

There is no department of the game, however, 
which requires more attention in the way of training 
to excel in it, than fielding does. A good fielder must 
be lithe of limb and with every muscle trained for 
active work in jumping, running, stooping, throwing, 
and, in f:ict, in every muscular movement which good 
practice in a gymnasium develops to advantage. In 
other words, a first-class fielder in base-ball must be 
a well-trained athlete. In no other field game of 
ball is fielding skill so essential to success as in the 
game of base-ball. In cricket a player may be valu- 
able both as a bowler and batsman, and yet be but 
an indifferent fielder. In lacrosse, if the player is a 
swift sprint-runner his ability in other departments 
is regarded as of secondary importance; while, in 
football, daring pluck and wrestling powers are the 
most important elements in giving him the suprem- 
acy in the game. But in base ball, if the player fails 
to excel as a fielder his value as a member of the 
team depreciates fifty pev cent. In fact, in no posi- 
tion in the game can a base ball player excel to an 
extent sufficient to make him useful unless he is fully 



66 THE v\RT OF FIELDING. 

up to the required mark in fielding skill. Then, too, 
it should be borne in mind that it is fielding that 
is the chief element of success in winning games. 
Given a first rate "battery" in a team, and half its 
value is lost unless it be backed up by first-class field- 
ing support. And the team may be noted for having 
two-thirds of the nine remarkably effective in hand- 
ling the ash, ami yet if they are below the mark in 
fielding skill, nearly all the advantage they derive 
from their^good batting will be lost. 

There are certain qualities a man must possess before 
he can go into field-training with any hope of attain- 
ing proficiency — he must be able to throw well, as 
regards both distance and accuracy; he requires pluck 
to face hard-hit balls; the judgment to know what 
to do with them when he fields them ; the quickness 
of perception and the nerve to act promptly in criti- 
cal emergencies; and the endurance to stand the 
fatigue of the work in the most important of the sev- 
eral field positions. Now, in batting, the veriest 
novice can with straight pitching hit a long ball to 
the outfield; all that is required is plenty of muscle 
and a keen eye. Of course, practice will make him 
hit with more accuracy, but nevertheless he can hit 
the ball without practice; but no novice can go into 
the field and handle the ball properly. Here practice 
is needed before anj' degree of proficiency is reached, 
no matter how physically capable a man may be to 
excel in the field. As between batting and fielding, 
too, in which both the batsman and the fielder are 



THE ART OF FIELDING. 67 

practiced experts, there is far more attraction to the 
looker-on in seeing a fielder pick up a "hot grounder" 
handsomely, throw it accurately to the baseman, and 
to see it well held by the latter in time to put the 
base-runner out, than is possible from the mere act 
of hitting the ball to the field. The only attractive 
feature of batting, in reality, is when the batsman is 
faced by a strategic pitcher, and the former outwits 
the latter, and secures an unquestioned base-hit, de- 
spite the best of pitching and the sharpest of fielding. 
But as this is rather exceptional work in batting, 
while sharp fielding is the general rule in the field, 
the fielding naturally presents the most attractions to 
those of ihe spectators who are capable of judging of 
the true merits of the game. 

Fielding has made rapid strides toward perfection 
within tlie past decade, and especially within a year 
or two. There is more system about it than there 
used to be. Last year, for instance, saw more of 

that special element of success in fielding good 

"backing-up" — exhibited, than ever before. There 
was more "playing for the side" in the fielding of 
1888 than in any previous season's work; and this 
important matter, too, is far more frequently seen in 
fielding than in batting. In batting, the rule is to 
play for one's individual record, because playing for 
the side is more self-sacrificing in batting than in 
fielding. In fielding, you really help your record 
more by playing for the side than for a special record; 
hence, "playing for the side" is necessarily more prac 
ticed in handling the ball than in wielding the bat. 



68 THE ART OF FIELDING. 

CHANGING POSITIONS IN FIELDING. 

One of the greatest mistakes a player can make is 
to leave a position he has learned to excel in, ni order 
to attempt to excel in another. It requires years of 
practice in base-play to become familiar with all the 
points of any one of the three positions — all three 
having- their peculiar characteristics, differing mate- 
rially from each other — and for a man who for years 
has been playing in one position, and who, in that 
position, has got everything down to a spot, to go to 
anolher one and attempt to equal his play in the one 
he has left, is something one player out of a hundred 
cannot do. Certain men take to certain positions in 
the game of base ball naturally, as Creighton took to 
pitching; and some take to base-play more readily 
than to outfielding or catching or pitching, and when 
a man has found his place he is unwise to leave it to 
seek new laurels in another position. 

There are three special departments of a base ball 
team, viz. : The "battery" players — the pitcher and 
catcher; the infielders, viz., the three basemen and 
the short-stop; and the outfielders, viz., the left, cen- 
ter and right fielders; and in commenting on the 
essentials of success required in each, md also on the 
points of play peculiar to each individual j^osition, we 
shall begin with the "battery" players; and in refer 
ring to these players we shall only comment on that 
part of tlieir duties directly connected with their field- 
ing skill in their respective positions, those of the 
pitcher consisting of his ability to field and catch 



THE ART OF FIELDING, 69 

balls from the bat, and to throw them accurately to 
the bases; while those of the catcher are comprised 
in the success of his efforts, not only to do the same 
thing, but also in catching and stojiping balls sent in 
to tlie bat by the pitcher. 

BATTERY FIELDING. 

THE PITCHER AS A FIELDER. 

The first requisite of a pitcher, as regards his abil- 
ity to excel in fielding in his position, is the possession 
of courage and pluck in facing hard hit balls from 
the bat which come direct to hini. No pitcher can 
fully avail himself of his good judgment in strategic 
skill in pitching who has any fear in facing " hot " 
balls from the bat. At the same time he may pos= 
sess the requisite courage to meet such hard hit balls 
and yet not be amenable to the charge of being 
afraid to face a hot fire of such balls, because he 
deems it wise at times to dodge some exceptionally 
hot liner, or other. What we refer to is, the courage 
which does not allow him to flinch from an endeavor 
to stop or catch the ordinary class of hard hit balls. 
The assistance a pitcher is credited with when the 
batsman strikes out has nothing to do with his regu- 
lar fielding assistance; nor are the errors charged to 
him on " called " or wild pitched balls anything to 
do with his direct fielding errors, the latter including 
only dropped fly balls, muflfed or fumbled balls from 
the bat, and wide throws to basemen. The fielding 
points a pitcher is called upon to attend to includes 
his running to first base to hold the ball when the 



70 THE ART OF FIELDING. 

first baseman deems it necessary to field the ball him- 
self and to throw it to the pitcher on the base. Also 
in the case of a "foul strike," a "foul" hit ball not 
caught on the fly a "dead" balK or a base runner 
put out for allowing a fair hit ball to strike him, and 
also in the case of a "block " ball, the pitcher must 
hold the ball while standing zvitkin the lines of his 
position^ before the ball is regarded as in play ; and 
therefore in all such cases he must, after fielding the 
ball, or after it has been thrown in to him, run to his 
position and hold the ball while in the box before at- 
tempting to put an opponent out. Under the Na- 
tional code of rules the pitcher must avoid sending the 
ball in so close to the line of the batsman's position as 
to run the risk of hitting him, as his doing so leads to 
the batsman's taking his base on such ball striking 
his person whether it hits him solidly or not, pro- 
vided the batsman makes due effort to avoid being 
hit without being obliged to leave his position. 
Under the rules of iSS6 the League code did not 
give a base unless the hitting of the batsman was 
intentional. This made the law a dead letter. The 
pitcher must therefore see to it that in pitching 
wide of the base, either as a point of play or from in- 
accuracy of delivery, that he takes care to avoid 
pitching the ball over the line of the batsman's posi- 
tion, for this he has no right to do, and if done, and 
the batsman be hit in consequence, the Umpire must 
regard it as an intentional act. In running in to take 
high fly balls, whether balls which are likely to fall 
in front of the foul lines or directly behind them to 
the right or left of the catcher, the ^Ditcher should be 



THE ART OF FIELDING. 'Jl 

sure of catching such halls or he should give way to 
the catcher or the nearest in fielder. Moreover, he 
should very seldom back far from his position toward 
second base in trying to catch a high fly ball as the 
chance of his making such a catch in comparison 
with that of some other one of the infielders is not 
good. Another point to play by the pitcher in field- 
ing is always to bear in mind the existing situation of 
affairs in the in-field every time he pitches a ball, so 
as to be as prompt as possible in fielding the batted 

ball whether picked up off the ground, taken on the 

bound, or caught on the fly — so as to throw it at once 
to the right position. Suppose, for instance, a runner 
is on second and but one man out, and the batsman 
sends the pitcher a hot bounder, and the latter turns 
round to catch the runner from second napping, the 
point to play in this instance is, to drive back the 
runner — not forced off — to second by feints of throw- 
ing there, and yet be in time to throw the striking 
runner out. Should there be runners on first as well 
as second base when such a ball is hit, however, the 
pitcher then should not hesitate a moment, but 
promptly throw the ball to the third baseman so as 
to insure the " force oflf." The correct thing in doing 
this is to be ready to do it the moment the ball is hit. 
Such readiness is the result of being fully aware be- 
forehand as to what the exact situation is ; if you do 
not realize the position when the hit is made, the 
chances are that when you turn to look where to 
throw to, you will besitate in your choice until too 



72 THE ART OF FIELDING. 

late to throw either one runner or the other out. 
The excellence of the point of play lies solely in the 
readiness of the pitcher to comprehend the exact sit- 
uation of things when the hit is made. 

Though it is the duty of the short-stop to act as a 
sort of tender to the pitcher, the latter should never 
depend entirely upon such assistance, but attend to 
the ball himself when there is any possible chance of 
hastening a play by it. It is far too rare a thing to 
see a pitcher doing double duty, as it were, by his 
quick movements in fielding infield balls himself 
which are not generallv regarded as balls to be fielded 
by the pitcher. It is " pretty work " in a pitcher 
when he is unusually active in backing up the first 
and third base positions when ground balls are hit 
near either of the boundaries of those bases. And it 
is quite the reverse to see a pitcher stand within the 
lines of his position almost indiflferent in his eflforts to 
field balls which do not come direct to him. .It is 
this which shows the diflference — as far as fielding 
can show it — between the pitcher who goes in for 
team work and to " play for the side," and the pitcher 
who is merely playing for a record of assistance on 
strikes. 

THE CATCHER AS A FIELDER, 

Catching behind the bat has come to be almost as 
important a position as that of the pitcher himself. 
There is a wonderful contrast in the play of the 
catchers of the present day and the comparatively 



THE ART OF FIELDING. 



73 



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AND HIS ACCOUTREMENTS. 



74 THE ART OF FIELDING. 

simple work the catchers of the old times had to 
attend to in their positions. When one thinks of Char- 
ley De Bost's easy task in facing Stevens' pitching in 
the old Knickerbocker Club days of 1857; *^^' ^^ ^^'^^ 
catching of Gelston of the old Eagles from Bixby's 
pitching; or that of Ed. Brown of the Eckfords from 
Frank Pidgeon's delivery; or of the graceful Masten 
of the old Putnams, in catching for Tom Dakin; or 
of Boeriim in attending to Mat. O'Brien's pitching; 
all these lights of the old fraternity ^^ pale their inef- 
fectual fires" before the splendid work of the leading 
catchers of the National League and the American 
Association of the present period. To stand 
up close behind the bat and face the hot fire 
of a swift curve pitcher, even when the balls 
come within comparatively easy reach, is no small 
task ; but to do this, and also be keen-sighted 
and active enough to catch the stray wide balls 
which come almost between the legs of the batsman, 
as it were, requires the most skillful play known to 
the position. When it is considered what the duties 
of a first-class catcher are under the present high 
standard of play, it is not to be wondered at that 
really "A No. i" catchers are at a premium. Some 
are noted for their pluck, nerve and skill in playing 
up close to the bat, and in taking those dangerous 
looking fly-tips; others for their agility and judgment 
in securing difficult foul balls; others, again, for their 
swift and accurate thi'owing to the bases; and still 



THE ART OF FIELDING. 75 

Others for their plucky endurance of punishment in 
supporting a wild delivery. But where is the catcher 
who combines in himself all these essentials of first- 
class i^lay behind the bat? Echo answers: "Where?" 
In our book on " The Art of Pitching" we pointed 
out the absolute necessity of possessing control of 
temper in order to excel in the position. This essen- 
tial is equally requisite in a catcher as in a pitcher. 
It is, we know, pretty trying for a catcher, while he 
is striving his best behind the bat, to find a pitcher 
venting his ill-humor on him because the pitching is 
being punished, or a chance for a difficult fly-tip hap- 
pens to be missed; but to get vexed at this kind of 
thing only results in a catcher's weakening his play. 
Anger clouds the judgment, unstrings the nerves, and 
mars the sight; and, the moment a player loses con- 
trol of his temper, away goes with it that presence of 
mind so necessary in playing base ball up to its high- 
est standard. 

Of the noted catchers of ten years ago the fine 
work done by White — Spalding's catcher in 1875 — 
presented noteworthy features worthy of copying. 
His forte was his remarkable reticence and wonder- 
ful activit^^. He presented quite a model for catchers 
in his style of handling the ball — that is, in his method 
of making his hands a sort of spring-box, by which 
he lessens half the force of the blow in holding it 
from a swift delivery. His agility, too, was especially 
noteworthy. But what we admired about his play 
was his quiet, effective way of doing his work. 



y6 THE ART OF FIELDING. 

"Kicking" is something unknown to him. And just 
here in parenthesis let us say that there is one thing 
in which White stands pre-eminent, and that is that, 
in integrity of character, he is a model player. Not 
even the whisper of suspicion has ever been heard 
against "Jim White." Herein lies as much of his 
value in a team as in his great skill as a player. This 
is a fact that club-managers thoroughly appreciate, 
as can be judged from the excellent selections made 
by the club-managers for 1889 It certainly inspires 
confidence to be able to insert in their circulars to the 
public a few remarks proving that " reputation is dear 
to players," etc., but it is no more so than it should 
be; dollars, no matter how obtained, are of less value 
to players than reputation, and when this is apparent 
to the public they will accept the fact that all the 
skill a player possesses is put forth in every game. 

A feature of first-class catching is a prompt and 
accurate return of the ball to tiie pitcher. This is as 
important for effective play as is a rapid delivery by 
the pitcher; we don't mean as regards pace, but in 
sending in balls in rapid succession, by which the 
batsman is obliged to be on the alert all the time, 
v^ith but little opportunity afforded for leisurely judg- 
ing the balls. Some catchers hold the ball, after re- 
ceiving it from the pitcher, for some time, with a 
view of throwing it to a base, or being ready for that 
play. But the best plan is to promptly return it to 
the pitcher, unless a base runner has started to run on 
the actual delivery of the ball. We have seen many 



THE ART OF FIELDING. 77 

a base stolen while the catcher has thus held the ball, 
apparently In readiness for a throw. A prompt re- 
turn bothers a base runner, especially if the return 
throw is swift and accurate to the pitcher. But the 
main value of it is that it enables the pitcher to play 
his strons: point of catching the batsman napping by 
a rapid return of straight balls when the batsman is 
not ready to strike. Spalding was the first to intro- 
duce this style of catching, in aid of his pitching, and 
he got many a strike out of it through White's quick 
returns. 

There Is one thing a catcher should not be held 
responsible for, and that is the costly consequences of 
a reckless delivery of the ball by a pitcher who lacks 
judicious control of temper. There is something 
outside the line of duty a catcher is called upon to 
perform. He may be required to support wild pitch- 
ing, while he is removed from the responsibility of 
the errors immediately resulting from it; but he can- 
not be bound to support the reckless delivery of a 
bad-tempered pitcher. It is very easy to say that a 
catcher ought to be able to do this, that and the 
other, in his play behind the bat; but there is a limit 
to the work a first-class catcher- should be held re- 
sponsible for, and that limit does not include the 
errors plainly traceable to a reckless delivery. 

The habit some catchers have of showing off their 
skill as swift throwers to bases is a bad one. All that 
is necessary to be done in the way of this throwing 
to bases when men are close to their base, is that of 



yg . THE ART OF FIELDING. 

showing the runners that you have good throwing 
at command, and that it will he necessary for them to 
take no risks. There is but one base a catcher can 
throw to with any degree of accuracy, and that is 
second base. There may be an exception to this 
rule, but it is rarely seen. Throwing to first base is 
the least advantageous throw made by a catcher, and 
throwing to third is next. Throwing to short-stop 
requires swift and accurate work and a quick return 
of the ball home, to be successful; and the short 
throws to second, to catch a player running home 
from third, is risky work, not one throw in four of 
this kind succeeding. As a general rule the catcher 
who confines his throwing to one position, viz., that 
of second base, will do far more work in catching 
base runners napping, than one who throws to all 
bases with the same frequency. 

A vile habit which some catchers are prone to m- 
dulge in is that of growling at umpires and disputing 
their decisions, or ill-naturedly questioning their judg- 
ment. This is something a first-class catcher is never 
guilty of, his silent acquiescence in the decisions of 
umpires being a creditable feature of his jolay. Aside 
from the fact that it is illegal and unfair, it is the 
worst habit a catcher can indulge in, for growling 
only increases the prejudice of the umpire and con- 
fuses his judgment, and his errors are sure to tell 
against the grumbling catcher's side. 



' THE ART OF FIELDING. 79 

BASE PLAY. 

The three positions occupied by the first, second 
and third basemen require Jifferent quaUfications to 
excel in them, though all need certain abilities alike 
In all three positions opportunities are offered fordis- 
tinct and local points of play. The duty of the first 
baseman is mainly to securely hold balls thrown to 
him while he has one foot touching the base; while 
that of the second baseman is chiefly to touch players 
as they run from first to second; the third baseman 
finding his principal work to consist of stopping hotly 
batted balls, catching high foul balls with a great 
twist given them by the bat, and in keeping players 
from running home, while trying at the same time to. 
put strikers out running to first base. 

But these things are but the foundation work of 
the occupants of the three positions. Base players 
are the defenders of the citadel of the field, and each 
and all of them require to be first-class men in re- 
gard to their activity and alertness of movement; 
their courage in facing and stopping hard-hit balls, 
and their ability to throw swiftly and accurately for 
the distances required infield work. 

The first base can be best occupied by a left-hand- 
ed player, as the hand most at command with such 
players faces the balls going close to the line of the 
base; while a left-handed player is decidedly out of 
place at' either of the other infield positions. Oi late 
seasons it has been the custom to cover the open gap 
between first and second bases by making the second 



8o THE ART OF FIELDING. 

baseman play at "right short;" but this has left a safe 
spot for sharp grounders close to second base, while 
it has also drawn round the short stop to second, and 
the third baseman to short-field to such an extent as 
to make hitting of ground balls near the line of third 
base a sure style of batting for earned bases. 

FIRST BASE PLAY. 

All basemen should be good ball catchers, but the 
occupant of the first base should specially excel in 
holding the swiftest thrown balls. He should, also, 
be fearless in facing hot balls from the bat, and expert 
in taking balls from the field, while holding one foot 
on the base. When a ball is hastily thrown to first 
base, his care should be to hold it, but at any rate to 
stop it. A good first base player ought to be able to 
hold a ball from the field, if it comes in anywhere 
within a radius of six feet from the base, and in case 
of high thrown balls he ought to take them at least 
eight feet high from the base. He must remember 
that the ball must be held by him — with some part 
of his person touching the base at the same time — 
before the striker reaches it, or the latter is not out; 
if the ball is held at the same time, the base runner 
is not out. Some first base players have a habit of 
taking their feet off the base the moment the ball 
has been held, and this frequently leads them to do 
so before holding the ball, or so quickly as to look so 
to the umpire, and the result is, that the striker is 
declared not out. In receiving a ball from the field, 



THE ART OF FIELDING. 8l 

the first baseman should stand on the base in such a 
manner as not to prevent the runner from reaching 
his base, as the umpire is justified in regarding any 
obstruction of the kind by the base player as inten- 
tional, if it could readily have been avoided, though 
the baseman may not have intended to obstruct bis 
opponent, or prevent him from making his base ex- 
cept by legitimate means. In taking his position in 
the field, he should stand about twenty or thirty feftt 
from the base toward the right field, and between 
the first and second bases, until the ball has been hit, 
when he should at once take his position with one 
foot on the first base, ready to receive the ball from 
the field. In taking his position for fielding, he will, 
of course, be guided by the style of batting opposed 
to him, standing further out in the field or closer to 
the base, according to the balls the batsman is in the 
habit of hitting. He should keep his eyes open for 
chances in points of play, especially when players are 
forced to vacate bases. Thus, for instance, suppose 
there is a player on the first base when a ball is struck 
to the pitcher and it is held by him on the bound, 
should the pitcher forget to pass the ball to second 
base and send it to first base instead — the runner 
standing on the base in the interim instead of run- 
ning to the second base — the point of play for the 
baseman would be to take the ball from the pitcher 
while off the first base, and first touching the player 
standing on the base, put his foot on the base with 
ball in hand, thereby making a double phiy; for 



82 THF, ART OF FIELDING. 

though the base runner was on the base when 
touched, he had no legal right to be there, inasmuch 
as the batsman, not being put out, forced the base^ 
runner to leave the base, and he — the base runner — 
had no title to the first base until the batsman was 
put out. Had the baseman, in the above instance, 
touched the base first, with ball in hand, and then 
touched the player on it, the latter would not ha-ve 
been out, as, the moment the striker was put out the 
base runner ceased to be forced to leave the base. 
Similar points to this can frequently be made when a 
player is on the first base and the batsman hits a high 
ball, as the former, in case the ball is caught, has to 
return to first base, and in case it is missed is forced 
to leave for the second base, and is, therefore, very 
likely to be put out there. When an overthrown ball 
to first base is stopped by the crowd in any way — ac- 
cidentally or intentionally — he must first throw it to 
the pitcher's position before he can use it to put a 
player out; and he should also remember that no ball 
hit by the batsman on which a balk has been called, 
can put the striker out no matter if held on the base 
in time, or caught on the fly. 

The first baseman requires to be well posted as to 
how far it will be safe for him to leave his base to 
field a slow rolling ball, which does not go within the 
fair reach of either the pitcher or second baseman. 
In regard to this point, it is known that there is a 
certain kind of ball just hit quietly along the ground 
to the center of a triangle formed by the positions of 



THE ART OF FIELDING. 83 

the pitcher, first baseman and second baseman at 
right short field, which ahnost invariably giv(i>; first 
base to an active runner, simply because it is a ball 
which tempts the first base player to try and field it 
himself, and all but old hands get trapped by it. Last 
season we saw several first base players try to field 
such short balls, and in nearl}^ every case they failed. 
First-class basemen judge tliese balls admirably, and 
such leave them to the pitcher or second baseman to 
field to them unless they happen to come within a 
certain distance which the baseman knows he can 
get to and back before the batsman can travel from 
home to first. It is worthy of remark that these 
short hit balls are entitled to an earned base, no mat 
ter how poor the hit may look. No hit, be it re^ 
membered, is a "poor one" which allows the batsman 
a fair chance to earn his first base, while no matter 
how showy a hit may be, if it aflTords a chance for a 
catch, at the hands of a sharp and active fielder, it is 
a "poor hit." 

THE SECOND BASEMAN's POSITION. 

We now come to the second baseman's position, 
and as far as base playing is concerned, it is one of 
the most important positions in tl-we game. In tact, 
there is no position in the infield which requires 
more judgment in its occupant than does that of the 
second base. The first baseman is, in a measure, 
limited in his sphere of operations, and so is the third 
baseman to a less extent. But the second baseman 



§4 THE ART OF FIELDING. 

has the whole of the middle infield to cover, and by 
alack of judgment he can readily give base after 
base to his opponents. The fact is, it requires a man 
of more tact and skill to fill this position than it does 
that of almost any other on the field, excepting, of 
course, the pitcher. Out-fielders have only to attend 
to their duties in catching and throwing, and the 
other basemen in special duties like that of the first 
baseman in holding balls thrown simply to him, and 
that of the third baseman in looking out for high 
foul balls. But the second baseman has to be equally 
expert in holding swiftly-thrown balls, and in look- 
ing out for high fly-balls, while he has, in addition, 
to be very quick in putting a ball on a baseman, and 
as active in backing up as the short-stop is required to 
be; and he has especially to be sharp in judging of a 
batsman's peculiar style of hitting, so as to be on the 
lookout to stop hot grounders passing near his base, 
or to catch high balls over the heads of the in-fielders 
intended to be safe hits. He is required, also, to 
cover second base and to play " right short stop," but 
his position in the field must be governed entirely by 
the character of the batting he is called upon to face. 
If a hard hitter comes to the bat, and swift balls are 
being sent in, he should play well out in the field, 
between right field and second base, and be on the 
qui vivc for long bound balls or high fly balls, which 
drop between the out-field and the second base hue. 
When the batsman makes his first base the second 
baseman comes up and gets near his base in readiness 



THE ART OF FIELDING. ^5 

to receive the ball from the catcher. He should 
remember that in a majority of cases his duty is to 
touch the base runner, and this it would be well to 
do in all cases when the latter is found off his base. 
The habit of touching base runners is a good one to 
get into, as there is then no likelihood of its being 
forgotten when it becomes necessary for a player to 
be touched. When the first baseman runs after the 
ball hit by the striker, the second baseman should at 
once make for the first base, as he is generally nearer 
to it than either the short stop or pitcher when balls 
are being hit between first and second bases. In 
timino- for a throw to first base he should be sure of 
his aim, or, if in doubt, he should let the base be 
made, or otherwise the chances are that an overthrow 
will give his opponent his third instead of his first 
base. Hasty throwing is poor policy except the base- 
men are pretty sure in sending in a swift line ball, 
and there is a good man at first base to hold it. 
When a player is on the first base, and another on 
the third, the second baseman should be on the 
watch, so as to make a prompt return of the ball 
when the. catcher throws to the second, and the man 
on the third attempts to run home on the throw. 
In fact, the second baseman r^^quires to use his judg- 
ment all the time to play his position properly. 

There is a point in second base playing which needs 
to be well looked after, and that is when a short hit 
ball is sent rolling to right short sufficiently near to 
the first baseman to tempt to field it; in such case the 



86 THE ART OF FIELDING. 

second baseman should run to first base so as to be 
ready to take the ball from the first baseman fielding 
it. Then, too, in the case of a ball hit to right short 
and to right field when a runner is on first base, and 
when the batsman is trying to send the runner round, 
the second baseman — unless two men are already out 
— should devote his efforts to getting the runner out 
forced from first base. In all cases when only one man 
out if there is any possible chance as to which base 
runner to put out, always select the runner nearest to 
home base. When the second baseman attempts to field 
a difficult ball, and is in doubt whether to throw or not, 
better let the runner make his base rather than run the 
risk of throwing wild at the cost of an additional base. 

THIRD BASE PLAY. 

The most difficult of the positions on the bases to 
play well is that of third base, and of late years it 
has become more than ordinarily important from the 
introduction of the scientific style of batting, which 
aims only to secure first base easily— a phase of this 
batting being sharp ground hits along the foul line 
which the third baseman has especially t» attend to. 
In fact, what with the high twisting balls sent foul 
from the bat toward third base, and the hot ground- 
ers, which are so difficult to pick up and throw 
quickly and accurately enough to first base, the third 
baseman requires to be a fielder of more than ordi- 
nary ability, and one possessing considerable judg- 
ment. It won't do for a third baseman to take up a 



THE ART OF FIELDING. b~ 

regular position every time he goes to the field, for 
the batting now in vogue requires him to change his 
place more frequently even than at second base. In 
one and the same inning he will be required to play 
between third and home bases and ten feet inside of 
the foul ball line to cover short ground balls, while 
another batsman may oblige him to act almost as 
short stop, and another force him well back into the 
field for high fouls. Then, too, he has to watch his 
base very closely when j^layers are running their 
bases, as he has to take throws from the catcher and 
pitcher, as well as from the other in-field players. 
To stop a long hot grounder sent close to third base 
and to throw over in time to first base requires the 
most skillful of fielding, a combination of the brilliant 
"pick-ups" of Denny or Williamson, and the speed 
and accuracy of Sutton's throwing. The third base- 
man, too, has considerable work to do in running 
after high foul balls out of reach of the catcher. 

When Ferguson filled the third baseman's position 
in the Atlantic nine about a dozen years ago he did 
some model fielding there. The style in which he 
picked up hot ground balls excelled anything ever 
before seen on a ball-field, no one approaching him 
in this respect. His quick throwing, too, was note- 
worthy ; also his sure catching of fly balls. His 
excellence in picking up diflficult grounders had been 
attained by practice in hand-ball playing; and club 
managers will find that practice in the hand-ball 
courts will be more effective in training their players 



88 THE ART OF FIELDING. 

than any gymnasium work can b.e; for it trains to the 
endurance of fatigue, makes a man specially active, 
toughens the hands, and trains a ball player to field 
the most difficult of ground balls, besides educating 
his sight in fielding balls better than any thing else 
can do. 

The importance of the third base position lies in 
the fact that on the play of the third-baseman, and 
on his sharp fielding of difficult balls, will frequently 
depend the loss of runs to his opponents, when the 
failures on the other bases are only made at the cost 
of a single base. In the case of a miss-play at third 
base, however, one or more runs scored is generally 
the result, that is, in cases where players are running 
their bases. When no men are on the bases the third 
baseman will have to be active in fielding the ball, 
and quick and accurate in throwing it, in order to 
prevent the striker from making his base. The third 
baseman takes a jDosition closer to his base than either 
of the other basemen. Sometimes, however, he takes 
the i^lace of the short stop when the latter covers the 
second base in cases where the second baseman plays 
at right short for a right-field hitter. In throwing 
from base to base hastily, take care that you throw 
low, rather than high, as a low ball can be stopped 
if not handled, whereas a ball overhead gives a run 
in nearl}^ every instance. In fact, as a general thing, 
it is safer to allow a jDlayer to make one base than to 
run the risk of helping him to two or three bases by 
an overthrow. Accurate throwing IVom base to base 



THE ART OF FIELDING. 89 

is a pretty feature of the game, and with straight 
throwers and sure catchers can be safely indulged in 
at all times, for though a player may not be put out 
by a throw, when he sees the ball thrown straight 
and handed prettily, it makes him hug his bases 
closer. 

Your earnest, reliable base player when he goes 
into a match, or even a practice game, plays ball 
from the word " Go " until the contest is ended. He 
plays to win, but only to win fairly and manfully, and 
not like a tricky knave. He never plays to show off, 
never puts on airs, or plays one time earnestly and 
another time lazil3' or indifferently, as too many do, 
hut he works like a beaver at all times, and that is 
the way to play ball. 

THE SHORT STOP's POSITION. 

Of late years the position of short stop has almost 
become the key to the iniield. The time was when 
the short fielder was regarded simply in the light of 
a waiter on the pitcher. In the old Hoboken days 
short stops were at one time thought to be rather in 
the wa}^ in the infield than otherwise; but when 
Johnny Grum, Dicky Pearce, Charley Thomas and 
other noteworthy occupants of that position, some 
twenty odd years ago, began to develop the resources 
of the short stop, and to practically illustrate the 
points of the position, there was quite a change of 
opinion on the subject. Since then short fielding has 
become the strongest force of the attacking power in 



90 THE ART OF FIELDING. 

the infield outside of the pitcher's position. The rea- 
son is that the short fielder occupies the position of a 
sort of rover. Unlike the base players, though he 
has a fixed position in one respect — standing as he 
does in the field midway between third baseman and 
second baseman — his duty is to occupy the position 
of all three of the basemen when occasion requires. 
Moreover, he is the general backer-up of all the in- 
fielders. No short stop who does. not excel in this 
special feature of his position is fit to occupy it. In 
addition, it is necessary that the short fielder should 
be a man of quick perception, prompt to judge of a 
situation, to take in all the points of the position at a 
glance, and to be able to act quickly and with de- 
cision. A peculiarity of short field play is that too 
often the reputation of a short stop is made or marred 
by the character of the play of the first baseman. 
We know of several short stops in years gone by 
whose success in playing their position was largely 
due to the effective support given them by their first 
baseman. The short fielder has many a ball come 
to him which is hard to stop and pick up so as 
to throw it in time to a base, so that, unless the base- 
man happens to be a player who can pick up a 
sharply thrown boumling ball, or reach out and se- 
curely hold a wide side thrown ball, or jump up and 
capture a high thrown ball, the play of the short 
fielder is sure to suffer. On such occasions, when 
hard hit balls are well stopped by the short fielder, 
and he scarcely has time to get them in hand to 



THE ART OF FIELDING. 



91 



throw accurately, unless he is sure of his baseman, 
the hit yields an earned base. Hence the importance 
of having first basemen in position who can not only 
do what ordinary first basemen are called upon to do, 
viz., stop hard thrown and straight balls, but who are 
able to shine in their position by stopping — if they 
cannot always field them — wide-thrown balls. The 
majority of the crowd of spectators cannot see how 
wide or bad a throw is made to first or second bases 
from short field, but they can see whether it be held 
or not; and when the ball is held the most of the 
credit of the out is given to the short stop for his 
assistance, when, in fact, but for the fine playing of 
the baseman in holding the wide or low thrown bidls, 
the runner would have secured his base. The beauty 
of George Wright's throwing to first base was his 
accuracy of aim; knowing his own power of swift 
throwing, he would wait until sure of his aim, and 
then let the ball go like a rifle-shot. He has had 
many imitators in swift throwing to the bases, but 
very few in the accuracy of his aim, and it was in 
that particular that he so greatly excelled. A swift 
thrower from short field, even when supported by a 
first-class first baseman, is a costly player as a gen- 
eral thing. He likes to show oflf his speed too much, 
and forgets too often the cost of the exhibition. The 
short fielder requires to be in full accord with the 
pitcher in regard to being familiar with the latter's 
special points of strategic play, so that he may duly 
prepare either to stand m closer or out further than 



92 THE ART UF FItLDING. 

usual. He should also be able to understand signals 
from the catcher, in order that the latter player, in 
throwing to second base, should be posted as to 
which man to throw to — second baseman or short 
stop. Thus, for instance, if a player be on first base, 
ready to run to second, and he should see the second 
baseman ready to receive a ball, he will hesitate to 
run; but should he see the baseman standing at "right 
short," leaving the second base apparently unprotect 
ed, he will run the risk of attempting to make the 
base. In this case the short-field should be able to 
signal the catcher that he is ready for the point, and 
at the same time that the catcher prepares to throw 
the ball to the base the short stop should be there to 
receive it, the latter starting to run from short to sec- 
ond just as the base runner starts to run from first to 
second. We merely refer to this point in order to 
illustrate the character of fielding an effective short 
stop is called upon constantly to attend to. lie should 
always be in motion while the ball is in play in the 
field, first in watching balls that are sent to his own 
position, secondly In backing up the third base, and 
lastly in playing the second baseman's position, or in 
supporting the pitchier, to which player he should be 
a sort of special attendant, in order to save him as. 
much work as he c?-n. Moreover, the short slop re- 
quires to be an exceedingly swift and accurate 
thrower, as of all positions wild throwing from short 
field is the most costly, fie should also be a very 
sure catch, especially in judging of those difficult high 



THE AkT OF FIELDING. 93 

balls which almost belong to the outfielder's position 
to take. The short field is especially adapted for an 
active fielder of short stature, as they can more readily 
attend to those short, sharp grounders which form 
the majority of balls to the short stop's position, and 
which are generally so difficult for a tall or heavily- 
built man to attend to. 

The short stop should be constantly on the alert; 
quick in his movements, active of foot, a quick and 
straight thrower at short distances, and especially a 
man of good judgrr ent, so as to know when to throw 
and when not to tb ow after fielding a ball. There 
was some very poor play shown by short stops last 
season, in the way of ill-judged throws. Some would 
throw hastily and swiftly, after failing to pick up a 
ball neatly, and thereby would add a wild throw to 
their fielding error. Others, again, would pick up a 

ball prettily and then be so deliberate in throwing 

depending too much upon their speed — that when 
the ball did go to the first base it was too "hot" or 
too " wide " to be held. A short slop should be 
ready to run up and field a short hit between 
pitcher and third, or to run out and take a high fly 
short of the left field. The short stop has the best 
and the most chances given him for double plays on 
dropped fly balls, but it is not an easy thing to do. It 
will no longer do to catch the ball and then drop it, 
the point of play now being to let it go to the ground 
and then field it at once, covering the ball as it drops. 
The best-played "point" in this respect we ever saw 



94 THE ART OF FIELDING. 

at the hands of a short sto)) was that phiycd by 
George Wright on McDonald and Pearce in the first 
Atlantic and Red Stocking match of 1870, It oc- 
cuired in the tentii inning of the game, after the At- 
lantics had retired the Reds for a bhmk score, and, 
with the fignres at 5 to 5, had two men on the bases, 
with but one hand out, and just one run to get to 
win. McDonald was at second base and Pearce at 
first, with Smith at the bat. One good hit would 
have sent AlcDonald home and have won the game. 
First came a foul ball out of reach, and then Charley 
poppetl up a high ball, which ?reorge Wright pre- 
pared himself to take, and Pearce, seeing the almost 
certainty of the catch, held his base, as did McDon- 
ald, George Wright being careful to avoid any move- 
ment likely to indicate the point he intended to play. 
Suddenly, however, as the ball fell, George dropped 
into a stooping position, placed his hands flat to re- 
ceive the ball near the ground, and the result was the 
ball bounded out of his hands on to the ground. It 
was picked up sharply, sent like a rifle nhot to third 
base, where Waterman stood ready to hold it — 
thereby putting out McDonald, forced off from sec- 
ond; and by Waterman the ball was promptly sent 
to Sweasy, putting out Pearce, forced off from first. 
The result of this well played point was the retire- 
ment of the Atlantic's for a blank score. The plan 
of holding out the palms of the hands flat so as to 
allow the ball to bound dead out of the hands, and 
with the twist taken out of it before reaching the 



THE ART OF FIELDING. 95 

ground, is the best way of playing this point. An- 
other way is to let the ball bound and smother it as it 
rises. It won't do to catch the ball and then drop it, 
as that amounts to a " momentarily" holding of the 
ball and consequently a catch. 

A great many errors in fielding — or rather in fail- 
ing to field — sharply hit ground balls, were charged 
to short stops last season for which they were not 
responsible. It is not generally understood that when 
the ball has a strong bias or twist imparted to it by 
the pitcher, and when it is sharply hit to the grounvi, 
it will diverge from the direct line of progress the 
moment it strikes the ground, and in such a way as 
entirely to deceive the fielder, who is jDrepared for 
the regular rebound only, and not to find the ball re- 
bounding to the right or left and with unusual speed. 
These fiiilures to stop ground balls are not errors, as 
they cannot be provided for by the most expert 
fielding. 

Cool judgment in critical points of a game should 
be a feature of first-class short fielding. This was a 
merit of Dick Pearce's j^lay in the old days, as was 
his sound judgment in all the strategical points. In 
emergencies and critical positions of a contest no 
other man was so cool and collected as Pearce. It was 
this very thing which really won the game for the 
old Atlantic nine in their second contest in i860 with 
the Excelsiors, when the players on both sides, as 
well as the umpire, became befogged about a point 
of play in running the bases — a point which Pearce 



96 THE ART OF FIELDING, 

alone saw and explained — the result being two men 
and side out for the Excelsiors, and their demoraliza- 
tion when they had the game in their hands. In 
this respect Dick excelled all the other short stops of 
his day. 

SHORT FIELDING. 

More opportunities are afforded the short fielder 
for Inlaying strategic points in putting out base run- 
ners than are presented to any other occupant of the 
infield. Ho has greater supervision over the infitJii 
than any other player, and he combines in his posi- 
tion the double office of short stop and base player, 
being called upon to play both second and third bases, 
in emergencies, quite frequently. He is also the gen- 
eral backer-up of the infield. For this reason the 
sliort stop requires to be a plaNcr very quicic to judge 
of points in strategic play, and to be perfectly famil- 
iar with every rule of the game, besides being cool 
and nervy in exciting periods of a contest. To 
illustrate: Suppose all three of tlie bases are occu- 
pied in the last inning of a game, with but one man 
out, but one run to get, and a hard hit ball is sent direct 
to the short stop; though a good fielder might be 
able to stop the ball well enough, such a player, lack- 
ing nerve and presence of mind for prompt action, or 
the judgment to decide quickly what was best to be 
done, would commit some error or other in throwing 
the ball which would allow the winning run to be 



THE ART 01 FIELDING. 97 

scored, and yet neither muff the ball In fielding it, or 
throw it to the base wildly. 

A word about the recording of short stop's errors: 
As a rule scorers were too hard on short stops' last 
season in the way of charging them with errors. 
We saw some scorers charge short stops with errors 
when they failed to stop a hard hit ground ball 
well enough to pick it up and throw it in time to the 
base. To stop a hard hit grounder, even if the 
ball be not sent to the base in time, is a good play, 
and no error. If it is sent to the base in time, it is a 
splendid piece of fielding. Frequently hard hit balls 
from curved line pitching, when they strike the in- 
field in front of the short stop, diverge on the rebound 
at a tangent, and thus escape capture. This, too, was 
frequently charged as an error when a base hit 
should, have been credited. There is altogether too 
great a tendency to cliarge errors to ticklers — to short 
stops in particular — in cases where hard hit ground 
balls are not stopped in time. It is difficult to do it 
even on a smooth, velvety turf like that of the infield 
of the old Union Grounds of years ago, and almost 
impossible on a rough or uneven infield, like that of 
the majority of ball fields. 

The play in a game when the bases are occupied 
by runners is frequently marred by the failure 
of the short stop to back up basemen to whom 
the' catcher or pitcher throws. There should 
always be an understanding between the short stop 
and both pitcher and catcher in regard to the 



98 THE ART OF FIELDING. 

special conditions which will occasion either to 
make throws to the basemen, so that the short 
stop might always be on the qui vive to back 
up well. There was a tendency shown by some 
short stops last season to indulge in showy, swift 
throwing, as also in somewhat careless, slow throw- 
ing. A ball would be batted hard to the short stop, 
but still so as to enable him to pick it up in time, and 
when he had done this well he would take his time in 
throwing, and then send it in hot to the baseman, 
when a slower throw would have answered the pur- 
pose better had he thrown it as soon as he had fielded 
it. This was often done to " show off" in fast throw- 
ing, and of course, at the risk of the ball not being 
held in time. When a ball is hit to short stop so as 
to make it difficult to stop and field in time for the 
throw, then a swift throw is justifiable. But this 
throwing fast when the fielder has time for a moder- 
ate and more accurate throw, is not " good form " in 
short field work. Neither is the slow toss of the ball 
to the baseman, when the ball from the bat is one 
which gives the short stop ample time to throw it 
to the baseman. The habit of play in throwing 
should be straight-line throwing, with moderate but 
timely speed, leaving very swift throwing to special 
emergencies, when the critical period of a contest may 
excuse some extra risk being incurred. There was 
considerable throwing done from short field last sea- 
son which may be classed as bad throwing, from the 
fact that it was not a point to throw the ball at all. 



THE ART OF FIELDING. 



99 



It is in this respect that the record of errors comes in 
with objectionable effect. Tliere are numerous times 
in the course of a match when it is better play to hold 
a ground ball from the bat instead of throwing it to 
the base. These instances occur when there is no 
runner on a base, or only one on first base, and the ball 
hit to the short stop is a difficult one to pick up. 
Too frequently in such cases the fielder will try to 
escape the result of a "juggle" or "fumble" of the 
ball by a hasty throw, and generally at the cost of a 
double error In the form of either a wild throw or a 
failure to hold the ball by the base player. Better to 
abide by the one error and escape the double one by 
holding the ball and keeping the runners from getting 
extra bases. As regards the short stop acting a<s tem- 
porary second baseman, except when a ball is hit to 
right short and a runner is on first and is forced, it de- 
pends upon the peculiar style of batting of the man 
at the bat as to whether short stop plays as second 
baseman or not. Ordinarily, with a right hand bats- 
man at the bat, the short stop will play in his own 
position. But when he sees the batsman "facing," 
for a right field hit, he should move down to cover 
second base, leaving the second baseman to go to 
right short. The same course should be pursued, too, 
when left-handed men come to the bat. Under the 
circumstances of the marked increase in right field 
batting of late years, and of the introduction of bat- 
ting quartets of left-handed hard hitters the necessity 
for the short stop being able to be a good second base 



lOO THE ART OF FIELDING. 

player, becomes very apparent. A point played last 
season with gaod effect at times was that of the 
catcher throwing to short stop when a runner was on 
third, and another ran down from first to second to 
cfet the man on third home. This was not done in 
the old style of throwing to short stop's position, but 
in throwing a little to the left of second base, the 
short stop jumping forward and taking the ball and 
promptly returning it to the catcher in time. When 
the ball is swiftly thrown and accurately returned, the 
play invariably yields an out; but it must be under- 
stood by signal to be done effectually. There was 
one thing in short lield play which was not always 
attended to properly last season, and that was the 
want of habits of play in throwing to each base 
according to regular rule. Unless a short stop plays 
by regular rule, habitually making the proper throw 
at the proper time, he is apt to get confused when left 
to judge a throw in a second of time. When two men 
are out, the short stop should disregard all temptation 
to throw a fielded ground ball an3^where but to the first 
baseman. When a runner is on first, too, such a 
fielded ball should be sent to second base habitually, 
except in the case of two men being out. Pla3^s of 
this kind should be done by rule, and so habitually 
that the play becomes natural to the fielder, and he 
does it by instinct, as it were. In such cases, balls 
which come to him hard to field in time will reach the 
baseman sooner than they would if he were not 
habituated to certain rules of j^lay. We have seen 



THE ART OF FIELDING. jOJ 

some splendid short fielding- in our day, but tnere is 
still roo-m for more i^oints and even better play than 
any yet exhibited. 

THE OUT FIELD POSITIONS. 

Quite a change has taken place within the past few 
years in reference to the importance of each j^osltion 
in the outfield. Twenty years ago the left field posi- 
tion was regarded as the position. That was in the 
days of the ten-inch-round, twoand-a-half ounce rub- 
ber ball, and when the so-called " splendid hits"' to left 
field were regarded as the feature of the game, and 
fielding skill was considered of secondary import- 
ance. Now the most difficult work is done in the 
right field, and the old-time features of outfielding, 
the catching of long fly balls, has been superseded 
by brilliant instances of assistance In putting out play- 
ers on bases by quick and accurate throwing in of 
balls, from the outfield positions. To one accus- 
tomed to see the headwork play of skillful outfielders 
of the present day, the old-time method would appear 
laughable. The old outfielder — even after the days 
of the bound-catch of fair balls — seldom deemed it 
wortli his wdiile to leave his position to go after a 
ball flying to any other position in the outfield. 
Playing for the side was then unknown, except in 
the instance of the old Atlantic nine, and also the 
Excelsior nine in i860. In those days— raid some 
players practice the same thing now — an outfielder 
thought he did his work well if he caught the fly- 



JQ2 THE ART OF FIKLDING. 

bali that came to him, without troubUng himself to 
run far to get it. Anything hke an assistance in 
putting out players on bases from balls thrown in 
from the outfield was comparatively rare play, ex- 
cept that now and then an effort was made to put 
out players trying to make home runs. All this has 
been changed. During 1888 some of the prettiest 
outfield work that was done was in making brilliant 
plays in doubling up base runners from quick returns 
of base-hit balls to the outfield, and from double 
plays from well-taken fly balls, not to mention the 
many instances of sharp fielding in assistance ren- 
dered from right field in putting out strikers before 
they reached first base. Of course there are instances 
in which much of the importance of an outfield posi- 
tion is derived from the peculiar character of the 
ground. As a general thing, however, the three 
positions are pretty equal in their call for service from 
players, though, if anything, the right field has the 
preference, as being the place to put the best out- 
fielder of the three. 

An important effect of sharp outfield play in the 
quick return In of fielded balls, is that of bothering 
base runners. Any experienced base runner knows 
very well that in four cases out of five he can tell 
whether a long-hit ball from the bat is going to be 
held or not by this or that outfielder; and in this 
knowledge he makes his estimate of how many bases 
he can make on his hit. If the hit is a high one, 
falling a little short of the outfielder's position, so as 



THE ART OF FIELDING. I03 

to oblige him to run in for the ball, and he knows his 
fielder well, he goes for the second or third on the 
hit, sure. But in the case of outfielders like Hor- 
nung, Hines or Evans it is difficult to tell when a 
ball is safe or not, if hit high in the air, and hence 
fewer bases are risked in running when such skillful 
outfielders are seen going after a ball than is done in 
the case of ordinary outfielders, not so remarkably 
long-reached nor active. It is in this special point of 
play that great activity, backed up by headwork, 
comes in with such telling eflfect in outfield positions. 
The substitution of a comparatively dead ball in 
the game, compared to the old lively rubber filled 
ball of years past, has had the effect of materially 
changing the character of outfield play, and of giv- 
ing more importance to the playing of the outfield 
positions. When the old rubber ball was in use and 
heavy hitting to the outfield was the rule, all the 
outfielders had to do was to stand out as far as they 
could, catch the ball and throw it in promptly; no 
opportunities were afforded them then for judging of 
a batsman's play, as it was all chance hitting, each 
going in to hit the ball as hard as he could, and with 
no idea as to which part of the field the ball would 
be likely to go. Since the new ball has been in use, 
however, outfielders have been allowed opportunities 
for " headwork" in judging of the style of batting 
by their opponents, and of playing their positions 
accordingly. For this reason in choosing outfielders 
for first-class professional nines, something more than 



lO^ THE ART OF FIELDING. 

the mere ability of the fielder to catch the ball and 
throw it in a long distance must be considered, and 
that somethin<^ is the judgment of the fielder in 
being able to play the strategical points of his posi- 
tion, and to do something more than to merely stand 
out in the field and catch a ball that comes to him, or 
to run after one and throw it in a hundred yards. 
We have seen outfielders not only watch carefully 
every private signal of the pitcher, but also judge 
for themselves in the matter of the style of the bats- 
man's play, and to get in closer, stand out further, 
get nearer to the foul ball lines, or to move more to 
the left or right as the style of hitting appears to 
require, thereby showing their ability to play the 
strategical points of their positions. In the case of 
using an elastic ball, any man who is a safe catcher 
and a long distance thrower will do to play in the 
outfield against lively ball batting; but in the case of 
the use of a dead ball, with its accompaniment of 
scientific batting, outfielders must be men who can 
use their heads as well as their hands, or the posi- 
tions will not be efiiciently played. 

Outfielders should never stand still or occupy one 
position all the time, but be ever on the move, ready 
for a quick run, or to back up each other. They 
should never hold a ball a minute, but promptly re- 
turn it to the infield as soon as handled. In thus 
returning the ball they should invariably send it in to 
the second baseman, unless some other fielder is 
designated on call by the captain. But in the case of 



THE ART OF FIELDING. 



105 



a fly catch in the outer field, when bases are being 
run, the outfielder should, of course, throw to the 
base player the base runner is returning to. The 
outfield is the place for the change pitcher of the nine 
to occupy. All three of the outfielders should watch 
the movements of the pitcher and batsman closely, 
so as to be ready to judge the bail likely to be hit 
to them. When a good batsman is at the home base 
they can get in closer than when a home-run hitter 
handles the ash. When the outfielders see that foul 
balls are being hit frequently, they should get up 
near the foul ball line. It is easier to run in for a 
short ball than to back out for a high one, and there- 
fore they should not stand in too close, though going 
out too far is worse still. No outfielder should stand 
still simply because the ball does not happen to come 
in his direction. Activity and judgment in being 
prompt in support is characteristic of first-class play 
in the out as well as in the infield. With the com- 
paratively dead ball now in use outfielders will do 
well to stand in closer than hitherto. It is better to 
let a long ball go over your head now and then than 
to miss the chance of taking short high balls on the 
fly, which are sent just over the heads of the infield- 
ers. Where one long ball is hit five short ones are 
sent to the outer field. 

In regard to running in for a catch, it is always 
better to stop and be sure of fielding the ball than to 
continue to run in in the hope of catching it in brill- 
iant style, only to find yourself overrunning the ball, 



jo6 THE ART OF FIELDING. 

and theieby letting your adversary secure an extra 
base or an unearned run. Such a thing as a double 
play from an outfield catch used to be very rare; and 
putting out a player at first base from a throw in from 
right field, was a feat almost unknown. Now an 
outfielder does not play up to his mark unless he fre- 
quently makes such plays during a season's campaign. 
No one would suppose that after twenty years of 
regular professional playing, and of even a longer ex- 
perience than that in the training of professional 
nines, any outfielder would be found playing his po- 
sition as if he were a mere ornamental figure in the 
team, and only played in one particular position to 
attend to particular balls which happened to come 
directly to wherr he was standing. But yet several 
such players were seen in the outfield teams of a few 
professional nines last season. That is, they played 
their position as if they had only a limited portion of 
ground to cover, and therefore had no occasion to get 
out of their special locality to field balls sent to the 
positions of other out-fielders. " What d' yer blame 
me for? It wan't my ball; it was the center-field- 
er's ball." This was the tenor of many of the expla- 
nations made by this class of outfielders last season, 
when they were called upon to answer the charge of 
making an error in not properly attending to their 
duties. The great point in outfielding is to send 
each man into the posiiion to play as if he were the 
only outfielder present to cover the whole outfield. 
The idea that a left fielder has only to attend to left 



THE ART OF FIELDING. 



107 



field balls and a right fielder to those sent to 
right field, is an exploded rule of the old amateur 
days. What the short fielder is to the basemen in 
the infield in giving them support by judicious back- 
ing-up, so should each of the three outfielders be to 
one another. The moment a long high ball, or a 
hard-hit liner, or a hopping ball is hit to the outfield, 
that moment every one of the three outfielders should 
be on the alert to catch it, stop it, or to field it when 
it happens to be missed or fumbled by the fielder to 
whose particular position the ball is sent. Of course 
it should be plainly understood beforehand as to 
who is to attend to the high fly ball when it 
comes, so as to avoid a dangerous collision, and the 
dropping of the ball between two hesitating fielders. 
In all other instances, too, no proper outfielding is 
done unless it is seen that all three fielders are in mo- 
tion after the ball, hit to any part of the outfield. 
Here is an instance of how this thing works: In a 
match last season a long high ball was hit to the left 
fielder's position. The moment the ball was seen 
flying to the outfield all three of the fielders were 
on the move after it. The left fielder backed down 
on running to catch it; the center fielder ran down 
near him, to be ready to field it in case of a drop, and 
the right fielder ran up toward the infield to be 
ready to forward the ball in on a sharp, quick throw 
toward infield. A splendid catch was made by the 
left fielder, and he had time for a long throw in to 
third base; but the point we wish show is that of 



Io8 THE ART OF FIELDING. 

the prompt assistance alTorded by the other two out 
fielders working together as a team, which the three 
outfielders should be taught to do in all first-class 
nines. But this particular branch of the system of 
'•playing for the side" is never seen where your out- 
fielders are composed of men j^laying for a record, 
Your record man seldom troubles himself about balls 
out of his district; and if, being a left fielder, he sees 
a ball sent flying to right field, he just folds his arms 
and becomes a mere looker-on, even if he docs not 
inwardly hope to see a rival fielder make a mufif, by 
means of which his own record will be benefited ; 
whether that be done at the cost of the team at large, 
and perhaps that of the game itself, does not aflfect 
him — his sole consideration being his record; and if 
this is kept all right by his leading his two compan- 
ions at center and right fields, everything else is of 
little consequence. Nowadays catching high fly 
balls, hit by mufling batsmen to the outfield in their 
silly efforts for home run applause, is one of the least 
things an outfielder has to do. And, moreover, it is 
possible that an outfielder who has made an average 
of but one catch to a match, may have done more 
real service to his side, by splendid fielding support 
in backing up and assisting the two other fielders, 
than he whose record in the average figures is at the 
top. Harry Wright, when at center field in the early 
days of the Boston nine, used to show the outfield 
business, done upon the principle of playing for the 
side, in fine style. He always led in assistance from 



THE ART OF PrELDING. lOn 

his i^ositlon, and in backing up. Harry got at balls 
at center field that few outfielders ever trouble them- 
selves to go for; he knew where to lay for most hit- 
ters — a great point in outfielding. Some splendid 
work in making difficult catches was done in the out- 
field last season, and also in throwing balls in accu- 
rately and in time. And, by the way, this throwing- 
in business is something which offers a field for 
improvement. Your long-throwers are just as fond 
of throwing balls in from the outfield for the sake of 
the throw, as fast throwers in the infield are in throw- 
ing fast to first base. Throwing home to the catcher 
from the outfield is a very nice thing to do, and it is 
important that it be done well if attempted at all, as 
overthrows from this quarter are damaging, in that 
they invariably yield runs instead of merely bases. 
It is no easy matter for an outfielder, after concentrat- 
ing his mind on the effort to catch a dfficult fiy-ball- 
to turn suddenly and grasp the idea of the position in 
the infield quickly enough to know to what point to 
throw. In such cases a throw home is generally re- 
sorted to, and in three cases oiit of five an overthrow 
IS the resuU. Let it be borne in mind that a well- 
trained professional nine contains three distinct teams, 
which work together as a whole — that is, the "battery,^' 
or team of pitcher and catcher, the basemen's team, 
and the outfield team. When nines are composed of 
men selected on the basis of this team principle, and 
not for their individual records, then we shall see bet- 
ter work done. 



no THE ART OF FIELDING. 

GENERAL HINTS ON FIELDING. 

There is no habit fielders have that is more char- 
acteristic of ochool boys, or which leads to more un- 
pleasantness and ill-feeling in a match, than that of 
finding fault with those who commit errors of play 
in the field. Every man in the field tries to do his best 
for his own credit's sake, and if he fails, censure but 
adds to his chagrin without in the least improving his 
play; on the contrary, fault-finding is only calculated 
to make him play worse. In no game are the 
amenities of social life more necessary to a full enjoy- 
ment of the pastime than in base ball. Particularly 
acceptable are words of commendation for good play, 
and remarks calculated to remove the annoyance aris- 
ing from errors in the field, to young ball players, and 
these form some of the strongest incentives to extra 
exertion on their part, besides promoting kindly feel- 
ings on the field and during the game. We must 
enter our protest against the fault-finding, grumbling 
and snarling disposition which continually censures 
every failure to succeed, and barely tolerates any 
creditable effort that does not emanate from them- 
selves, or in which they do not participate. Such 
men as these constitutional grumblers are the nuis- 
ances of a ball field, and destroy all the pleasure 
which would otherwise result from the game. Every 
manly player vs^ill keep silent w^hen he sees an error 
committed, or if he makes any remark at all, will 
apologize for it in some way. Those who find fault 



THE ART OF FIELDING. Ill 

and growl at errors of play are of the class who pre- 
fer to gratify their malice and ill-temper at the ex- 
pense of the unlucky fielder who happens to " muff" 
a ball or two in a game. 

Fielders should remember that the captam of the 
nine is alone the spokesman of the party and the com- 
mander of the field. 

No outfielder should hold a ball a moment longer 
than it is necessary for him to handle it in throwing. 
In the infield, however, a ball can be sometimes held 
by the fielder with safety and advantage. 

Never stand still in your position simply because 
the ball happens to go in another direction than the 
position you occupy, but always be on the move to 
iid the other fielders, or to back them up. Activity 
in the field and judgment in being prompt in support 
is the characteristic of a first-class fielder. 

Play earnestly at all times, whether in an ordinary 
practice game or in a match. Get into the habit of 
doing your best on all occasions. It is invariably the 
mark of a vain and conceited ball player to walk on 
the field and play in a game as if he was confernng 
a favor by participating in the game; and players 
who plav with an air of indifference as to the result 
of the game, or who become despondent when the 
odds are against them, are no players for a first-class 

nine. 

Next to seemg a man field well, the most attractive 
thino- is to see a player take things easy and good- 
natm-edly. If you miss a fly ball, allow an import- 



112 THE ART OF FIELDING- 

ant ball to pass you, or fail to haiulle a ball in time 
on a base, nothing is more boyish than to vent your 
ill-temper on some one who may have balked you in 
catching it, or thrown it to you badly. Control your- 
self and take it smilingly, or if you lack the moral 
courage to do that, keep your mouth shut at least. 
Your good-natured fellows who play their best all 
the time, and yet take everything bad or good with a 
good-natured smile, are as desirable as companions on 
a ball field as your growlers are to be detested. 

When an error of play is committed do your best 
at once to remedy the evil by using your best efforts 
to get at the ball, either after missing it, letting it pass 
you, or failing to hold it. Some 2:)layers -after 
"muffing" a ball will walk after it like an ill-tem- 
pered, sulky ten-year-old. 

TEAM WORK IN FIELDING. 

We have before called attention to the marked 
difference between the field work of what we call a 
mere picked nine, viz., a nine composed of good 
players in their respective positions, but who are en- 
tirely new to each other's style of play — or, if not, 
are equally disqualified from doing team work by 
the uncongeniality of their dispositions, or from like 
causes — and a nine who work together as a whole 
with machine-like unity and effect, and who are a 
regular team in their trained method of playing into 
one another's hands for the benefit of the side. It is 
very evident that the importance of this difference is 



THE ART OF FIELDING. II3 

being realized more and more each season, and the 
result is that nines are being organized more on the 
sound basis of their doing team work than in accord- 
ance with the old plan of selecting mere picked nines. 
One special feature of the best team work in fielding 
during the season of 1888 was the effective play shown 
in "backing up'' one another. This involved, of course, 
some extra field work, but the advantages accruing 
from it more than compensated for the additional 
labor. It worked in this way : The ball was pitched 
to the bat ; it was hit to the infield in such a way as 
to necessitate sharp handlinj^^ in j^icking up the ball 
in time to get it to the base. Promptly on the hit 
being made, the pitcher and catcher ran behind the 
first base to stop the ball in case of a w^ide throw. 
Perhaps five times out of six this backing up was not 
actually needed; but it was there the important sixth 
time, with the result of two or three bases saved, if 
not a base runner put out. This system, carried out 
in all the positions, not only inspires confidence in 
fielders obliged to throw quickly, but it deters base 
runnino^, and keeps runners from taking risks to 
reach bases they would otherwise attempt. Besides 
which, it gives confidence to the field by making 
their work more that of a trained team than of a 
mere picked nine. 



114 THE ART OF BATTING. 



THE ART OF BATTING. 



A noteworthy feature of the improvement which 
has taken place in the general playing of the game of 
base ball, has been the marked difference in the ad- 
vance made in the fielding department compared to 
that of the batting. In the progress of education in 
the knowledge of what may be termed the " science 
of the game," the art of batting has greatly lagged 
behind that of fielding ; and one reason for this has 
been the fact that but little attention has been paid to 
the study of the theory of skillful batting, while 
improvement in fielding has been forced on the pro- 
fessional class by the fact that the great mass of the 
patrons of the game, while knowing little or nothing 
about scientific batting, can fully appreciate the beauty 
of skillful exhibitions in the field ; and hence an im- 
petus has been given to a spirit of rivalry in fielding 
excellence, while in regard to batting the incorrect 
data on which the annual statistics of average play at 
the bat are made up, and the premium which is 
offered to "record playing" at the bat by the injudi- 
cious method of scoring the game, and the promi- 
nence given to batsmen in the line of heavy hitting, 
has had the effect of retarding the progress of the true 
art of skillfully handling the ash. 



THE ART OF BATTING. I15 

Up to within the past year or two a great deal of 
the batting done in the professional arena was but 
little, if any, in advance of that which characterized 
the prominent clubs of over a dozen years ago. One 
cause of this failure to improve batting as rapidly as 
fielding has been, has been the reluctance shown by 
the professionals to studying up the subject of how to 
handle the bat properly. For years past the majority 
of players have gone to the bat possessed either of 
bad habits in their manner of holding and swinging 
the bat, or lacking in knowledge of how to use their 
bats with the best effect, even if they did stand in a 
correct position and hold their bats properly. As a 
general thing, thev have taken their stand at the bat 
with no fixed rule of action, but simply on the princi- 
ple of going in for general results, as it were, trusting 
to what is called "luck." One player's idea is to hit 
as hard as he can at the first ball that comes within 
his reach. Another's is to wait for a particular kind 
of ball, a pet of his, and then hit it as if his sole object 
was " to knock the stuffing out of it." This kind of 
batting is especially characteristic of " hard hitters" 
or home-run-hitters — men who think that the end 
and aim of a batsman is to make home-runs. This 
class of batsmen average a home-run hit to about 
every twenty outs from poorly-hit balls. Of 
course, keen sight and muscular strength are essentials 
in batting skill, but judgment and its practical exem- 
plification in strategic play are even more important. 
The batsman who can be most relied upon for a 



Tl6 THE ART OF RATTING. 

sinc^le-base bit is worth two of your home-run class of 
hitters. The former is the man to win in the long 
run, thou2:h the latter may excel in cutting a dash or 
making a showy splurge in odd games. 

In the science of batting there are certain rules, the 
neglect of which must prove damaging to the bats- 
man's general play. First comes the rule which 
requires that he should "stand at ease" when he 
takes his position at the bat ; that is, to stand so as to 
be able to swing his bat to meet the ball with the 
easiest movement at command. Then there coines the 
rule governing the proper method o^ swinging the 
bat forward to meet the ball; in this latter the man- 
ner in which he stands has an important bearing. 
The proper poising of the bat preliminary to making 
the forward swing in striking, too, is an important 
matter. But the one thing in the science of batting 
which has, up to within a year or two past, been but 
little understood, or, if understood, has been- sadly 
neglected, is the rule governing what is technically 
called '-^facing for position''^ — that is, taking your 
stand at the bat in such a manner as to lead to the 
control of the regular swuig of the bat, causing it to 
meet the ball so as to send it in the direction of either 
one or the other of the three outfield positions of the 
field, viz.. The right, center, or left field. More atten. 
tion has been paid to this by the more intelligent class 
of professionals of late than ever before, and the result 
has been, to that extent, improvement in batting* 
But, as a general thing, chance hitting has been too 



THE ART OP BATTING. H? 

much in vogue for any marked progress in scientific 
batting. This, and the paying of too much attention 
to the playing for a record— the recoid in question 
being one which gives no criterion of skillful play at 
the bat whatever — have been the principal drawbacks 
to a relative advance in the practical knowledge of 
the true art of batting, in comparison to that which 
has characterized the fielding in the game. 

A great inducement held out to the class of heavy 
hitters is the prominence given by base ball writers 
of the sporting papers, and in the columns of the 
dailies which give space to reports of the doings of 
the fraternity in the field, to total base hits. Some of 
these papers not only enlarge the scores with details 
of two and three base hits and home runs, but they 
give special prominence in their introductions to the 
scores, to the batsmen who excel in making " tw^o 
baggers," and « three baggers," while they add a spec- 
ial point of praise to the batsman who scores a home- 
run, no matter whether the player who makes it has 
to tire himself out with a 126 yards "spurt," at his 
utmost speed, to gain a single run, or to bring in one 
or two base running companions. The practical effect 
of all this is to destroy a batsman's ambition to excel as 
a "team player" in batting, and to drive him into play- 
ing solely for a high average record of total bases. 
We hope to show in the following chapters that 
scientific batting is the basis of successful team work 
in handling the ash, and that the batsman who can 
the most easilv earn a single base, and who is willing 



Il8 THE ART OF BATTING, 

to sacrifice his record of total bases and a high aver- 
age in faulty statistics in order to bring in a needed 
run, does work in batting in "playing for the side" 
worth all that the most brilliant heavy hitting bats- 
men ever accomplished. 

THE ART OF BATTING. 

In no department of the game are more facilities 
offered for strategic play than in batting ; but it re- 
quires an intelligent player to engage in it success- 
fully. The batsman who would be invariably success- 
ful must resort to strategy, for if he depends solely 
upon a quick eye and a strong arm he will fail. These 
are very excellent as aids, but a comparatively poor 
dependence to place your trust in altogether. The 
batsman, when he takes his bat in hand, finds opposed 
to him nine men, and though to the casual observer it 
may seem a very easy undertaking to bat a ball out 
of the reach of only nine men, covering as large a 
space as a four or five acre field; yet when you come 
to fiice nine experienced and active fielders, you will 
soon be taught to realize the fact that "headwork" is 
as important an element of success in batting as it is 
in pitching; and you will then see that to earn bases 
on hits, and thereby to score runs, you will have to 
play "points" pretty successfully. 

From the moment the batsman takes his stand at 
the bat, to the time he strikes a fair ball, he should 
stand in proper form for hitting at every ball, or he 
will be sure to be caught napping by a skillful 



THE ART OP^ BATTING. II9 

pitcher, and find himself retiring from a tip, a poorly 
hit ball, or from called strikes, instead of taking a 
well earned base. This proper form for a hit is im- 
portant. It is fatiguing, of course, to stand still and 
keep prepared for hitting, while ball after ball is sent 
in out of reach; but it must be done in order to secure 
chances for hitting the ball you want when it does 
come. A skillful pitcher is always on the alert to 
find the batsman "out of form," and not prepared to 
hit, and the moment he sees him thus standing "on 
the loose," he is sure to send him a good ball, and 
the batsman either strikes at it hastily or lets it go by 
him, only to see the ball fielded easily, or a strike 
called on him. The batsman is only in proper form 
for a good hit when he stands squarely on his feet, 
with the bat grasped firmly about six or eight inches 
from the end of the handle, and with the point of the 
bat partly resting over the shoulder. He should 
never hold it horizontally, and especially should he 
avoid pointing it toward the pitcher. In fact, the 
only way in which he can swing it so as to meet 
the ball at the proper angle is to bring it down from 
the shoulder; he then brings the weight of the bat as 
well as the power of his arms and wrists, to bear 
upon the stroke. In standing ready, prepared to 
meet the ball, his right foot should be firmly placed 
on the ground as a pivot foot, leaving his left foot 
loosely touching the ground ready for a springy for- 
ward step to give direction to the hit, and an addi- 
tional impetus to the stroke. 



J20 THE ART OF BATTING, 



THE FORWARD SWING OF THE BAT. 

The batsman who would excel in scientific hitting 
must study up well the theory of the art. It is one 
thing to take up the bat and "slug" away with all 
the force at your command at the ball, with the 
single idea of hitting the ball as far out in the field as 
you can; but it is quite another thing to take your 
stand, bat in hand, well posted in all the points in 
batting, and ready to match strategic skill in hand- 
ling the ash against strategic pitching, point for 
poi'iit, and with a special object in view in making 
every hit. There are many points to learn before a 
batsman can arrive at any marked degree of skill in 
hitting. First, he should learn the bearings of the 
natural swing of the bat in meeting the ball, and the 
dilTerent effect of a swift and a slow stroke in form- 
ing these bearings. Measuring the semi-circular line 
of the swing of the bat from its position as it is 
held over the shoulder, to the point of its meeting 
the ball, it will be seen that the swiftness of the 
stroke has a great deal to do with giving direction 
to the ball. A slow stroke will meet the ball back 
of the base; a medium stroke will meet it on the 
line of the base, and a quick stroke in front of it. 
The lines of these strokes are shown in the follow- 
ing diagram. 

The slow stroke would send the ball toward the 
rio-ht field; the medium stroke toward the center, 



THE ART OF BATTING. 



21 




and the quick stroke to the left. So much for the 
lines of the forward swing of the bat against the ordi- 
nary speed of the delivery of the ball to the bat. 
In addition, however, the varying speed of the pitched 
ball has to be taken into consideration, inasmuch as a 
slow pitched ball would meet the slow stroke on the 
line of the base instead of back of it; while a very 
swiftly pitched ball would meet the swift stroke in 
the same place, instead of in front of the base. The 
pace of the ball, therefore, has to be taken into the 
calculation in estimating the force of the forward 
swing of the bat in giving the ball any special direc- 
tion. 

FACING FOR POSITION. 

One thing in the science of batting which has only 
of late years been understood, is the rule governing 



THE ART OF BATTING. 




wliat is technically called "facing for position" — that 
is, taking your stand at the bat in such a manner as 
to lead to the control of the regular swing of the bat, 
causing it to meet the ball so as to send it in the direc- 
tion of either one or the other of the three out-field 
positions of the field, viz: The right, center, or left 
field. This "facing for position" is a subject calling 
for some study of the rules which govern it. Just as 
a man stands at the bat, just so will the regular or 
forward swing of the bat meet the ball, all things, of 
course, being equal, viz., the rapidity of the forward 
swing being in proportion to the speed of the deliv- 
ered ball. But the general direction of the ball, from 
a regular and proportioned swing of the bat, is gov- 
erned by the manner in which the batsman stands 
when prepared to strike at the ball — that is, in pro- 
portion as he "faces" for the right, the center or the 
left. As a general rule, in order to send a ball to the 
right he should face almost as if the first baseman 
was going to pitch the ball to him, and not the pitcher. 



THE ART OF BATTING. ^^ 

The three in-fielders, therefore, to face any one of 
whom the batsman should stand when about to strike 
at the ball, are the first-baseman, the pitcher and the 
third-baseman, just as he desires to send the ball in the 
direction of the right, the center, or the left field. 
We have frequently seen important batting points 
lost in a match, owing to the failure of the batsman to 
properly face for position. Take, for instance, the 
position of a game when a runner is on third base, 
with but one man out, and the batsman goes to the 
bat. Without regarding anything but his making a 
long hit to the outer field, he takes his position so 
that the regular forward swing of the bat will cause 
it to meet the ball either at the line of the home base 
or in front of it, and the result is that the ball is hit 
either to pitcher, second baseman or short-stop, there- 
by preventing the runner from going home from 
third, even if the striker be not put out. Now, had 
the batting point in this case been properly played, 
the batsman would have taken up his position so as to 
have faced for right field, thereby almost insuring the 
ball's being hit in that direction, in which case the 
runner would have been enabled to score his run, 
even if the batsman had sacrificed himself by his hit. 
This is but one phase of the rule governing facing for 
position in batting, but it suffices to show the impor- 
tance of the subject. 

When a hit to left field is desired the batsman takes 
his stand as If the short-stop in his regular position 
was about to pitch the ball to him, and this brings the 



124 



THE ART OF BATTING. 



regular forward swing of the bat so as to meet the 
ball in front of the home base, the diagram showing 
the lines of the forward swing of the bat, and also 
that of the direction g^iven the ball as follows: 




FACING FOR LEFT FIELD. 



The batsman when about to hit to center field, or 
to the pitcher, should stand in the ordinary position, 
the lines of which are shown in the appended dia- 



THE ART OF BATTING. 



125 




FACING FOR CENTER FIELD. 



For right field hitting the batsman should face the 
first baseman, in which case the swing of the bat 
would meet the ball and send it in the direction shown 
in the appended diagram. 

If the batsman is a quick hitter he should invariably 
face for right field hitting if the pitching is fast, but if 



I 26 



THE ART OF BATTIN'^ 




FACING FOR RIGHT FIELD. 



medium jDacea he would do better to face the pitcher 
or short-stop. 

The dotted lines show not only the position of the 
bat when the swing is made, but also the direction of 
the forward swing, and of the ball as it leaves the 
bat. 



THE ART OF BATTING. 



127 



High balls are the best to hit at when facing for 
right field when the pitching is swift; a slight stroke 
from the bat will frequently send it safe out of reach 
of the in-fielders, and yet not far enough out for the 
right fielder to catch. 

A close study of the various forces governing the 
swing of the bat in meeting the ball, and of the rules 
applicable to "facing for position," will fully prepare 
the batsman for taking his stand at the bat ready for 
active service. 




A BAD FORM IN BATTING. 



128 THE ART OF BATTING. 

THE POSITION IN BATTING. 

The position taken by the batsman when he takes 
his stand at the bat, has a great deal to do with liis 
success or faihn-e in hitting. When once a batsman 
gets into a bad habit, either in his manner of hokling 
the bat, or in the way he stands, it is difficult to get 
out of it, and it always interferes with his success as 
an effective batsman. Many players are accustomed 
to hold their bats directly in front of them, and pointed 
toward the pitcher. Tliis necessitates the witlidrawal 
of the bat previous to swinging it forward to meet the 
ball, thereby making two movements of the bat 
instead of one, and, of course, marring the aim in 
striking. This bad position is illustrated in the cut 
on the preceding page. 

The appended cut shows a correct position in stand- 
ing ready for an effective hit. It is that of the late 
Gen. Thos. S. Dakin, the old pitcher of the Putnam 
Club of Brooklyn of i860. 

Confidence is everything in batting, and you can 
never feel confidence in your ability to bat well iwiless 
you are accustomed to a regular position both in 
standing ready to strike, and in properly holding your 
bat so as to use it with the best effect. It is hardly 
possible for a batsman who is accustomed to strike 
in what may be called bad form, to hit the ball so as 
to "place it" where he wants to, because to do this 
the bat must be swung forward with an accuracy of 
aim which a bad method of holding it renders scarcely 



THE ART OF BATTING, 



29 




STANDING IN GOOD FORM. 



possible. The correct position for a batsman is to 
stand well on his right foot, having his left foottonch- 
ing the ground lightly, thereby making his right the 
pivot foot. By this means he will gain a body swing 
to give additional force to the swing of his arms in 
batting. In holding the bat he should keep it poised 



r^o 



THE ART OF BATTING. 



SO as to have it ready for the regular forward swin< 
as shown in the appended cut. 




Georo-e Wrio-ht holds the bat a little further back 
Dver the shoulder than the General did. The impor- 
tant point is to get the best balance of the bat so that 
ts weight should not trouble the wrists too much. 



THE ART OF BATTING. 



I3T 



From the moment the batsman takes his stand iv. 
the bat, to the time he hits a fair ball, he should 
stand in proper form for hitting every single ball 
pitched to him. Unless he makes this a habit, he 
will surely be found a ready victim, to a more or less 
extent, for a skilful, strategic jDitcher. The rule, with 
a good batsman, is always to be in form all the while 
he is at the bat. This is specially necessary to meet 
the uncertainties of a curved line delivery. How 
often do we see batsmen go to the bat, one after the 
other, and as they take their stand, get into fair form 
for the first two or three balls, and then, on finding 
that the pitcher's delivery is rather wild, stand at ease, 
as it were, quite unprepared to hit in proper form, 
only to see the ball come in over the base, and at the 
height indicated, while they either fail to strike at it 
or miss the ball if they do, simply because they did 
not stand prepared to meet it, or, in other words, 
were not in form for batting. The momenta shrewd, 
strategic pitcher sees a batsman standing at the bat in 
bad form, he feels sure of capturing him. On the 
other hand, it bothers the best pitchers to see the 
batsman untiring in his efforts to stand in good form 
in his position, and fully prepared to meet every ball 
pitched to him. This "proper form" for hitting 
every ball is, of course, fatiguing to the batsman, 
when the pitching is at all wild, but it must be kept 
up in order to secure chances for hitting the ball 
when it comes within fair reach of the bat. 

A point to play on the pitcher in connection with 



132 THE ART OF BATTING. 

vhis standing in good form, is to pretend to stand at 
the bat as if tired of waiting for a good ball, and 
yet to be on the alert to me(^t a quickly pitched ball 
sent in to catch you napping while you are apparently 
out of form for good hitting. Another good point to 
play on the pitcher is to deceive him in regard to 
your facing for position. Suppose, for instance, that 
when you take your position at the bat you ''face" 
for a hit to first base? The pitcher or catcher, seeing 
this, will signal the first baseman to play up closer to 
his base; to the second baseman to go to right short, 
and to the right fielder to " come in a little." Now, 
suppose again, that while " facing" for the hit in 
question you so time the swing of tjiie bat as to meet 
the ball considerably forward of the base, instead of 
hitting it to the part of the field your opponents had 
been led to expect you would by the manner in which 
you "faced for the hit," the result will be a safe hit 
to an unguarded quarter, and a pretty display of skilful 
batting. But this strategic play is anything but easy 
of accomplishment; a thorough command of the bat, 
considerable experience, and a quick eye being neces- 
sary, 

FIRST BASE HITS. 

Base hits are the chief criterion of efl^ective batting, 
and earned I'uns oflf the pitching are the reward of 
such hitting. Just here comes the pertinent queries 
of what constitutes a " base hit," and what is an earned 
run ? With all due regard for the capabilities of the 



THE ART OF BATTING. I^. 

many intelligent and competent scorers who have 
had to decide upon the questions of base-hits scored 
and runs earned during the base-ball campaign of 
1888 it is a fact well known that the majority are so 
involuntarily biased by their connection with the 
clubs for which they score, that scarcely any two can 
be found who are in full accord in their views on the 
subject of base-hits and earned runs. When "doctors 
disagree," an outside individual, who is removed from 
party bias, must step in and decide the disputed point 
— as we propose to do in this article on base-hits and 
earned runs. In rendering a decision likely to govern 
the matter, we shall be guided, as hitherto, solely by 
our efforts to promote the best Interests of the game in 
bringing it up to the highest standpoint of a scientific 
field-sport, and we hope again to merit that attention 
to our views which has hitherto been accorded them. 
The first question to be answered is: What is a base 
hit? and the reply to the query is that it is a hit 
which secures to the batsman his first base without 
the aid of even a doubtful error by any one fielder. 
In order to give a clear definition of the term, how- 
ever, we enumerate below the special instances in 
which base-hits are made: 

Firstly. — When a ball is hit fairly along the 
ground to any j^art of the field out of j^osslble reach 
of any of the fielders. 

Secondly. — When a ball is hit f^iirly over the heads 
of any of the in-fielders, and so as to fall short of 
allowing any of the out-fielders a fair chance to catch it. 



T34 THE ART OF BATTING. 

Thirdly. — When a high fiy-ball is hit fairly over 
the heads and out of fair reacli of the out-fielders. 

Fouj'tJily. — When a ground ball is hit with such 
force from the bat as to render it almost a physical 
impossibility to stop it, or, if partially stopped, to 
grasp it in time to throw it accurately to a base- 
player. 

Fifthly.— y\^\-\i^\\ a line fly ball is hit with such 
force from the bat as to make it diflicult even to 
partially stop it, and still more so to hold it on the 

Hy. 

No one will question tlie fact, we think, that all of 
the above hits are base hits which clearly earn first 
base for the batsman. There is still another hit 
which earns a base at least three times out of five 
that the hit is made, and that is when a ball is hit 
fairly, but in such a manner as to roll slowly to the 
center of the triangle formed by the pitcher, striker, 
and first baseman's positions. In regard to this 
last character of hit, we have to state that out of some 
thirty odd instances during a special period of pla}^ 
in which a ball has been hit in the manner described, 
we have seen but four successful efforts made to put 
the striker out, and then it was chiefly the result of 
slow running to the first base. The difficulty atten- 
dant upon fielding such a ball is that the pitcher 
cannot well get it and throw it accurately to first base 
before the striker can reach his base, while neither 
can the first baseman run and field it and return to 
his base in time, nor can the pitcher run across to 



THE ART OF BATTING. I35 

first base and take such ball in time if fielded by the 
first baseman, even if the two players should agree 
upon so fielding the ball, which they rarely do. It 
is rather an accidental hit, it is true — the result of 
hitting the ball by the bat near to the handle, thereby 
giving a weak blow to the right. Nevertheless, as 
it is a hit which effectually — in a large majority of 
instances — prevents the fielder from getting the ball 
in time to throw the striker out, it cannot be recorded 
otherwise than as a base-hit. In regard to the drop- 
ping of a hard hit line ball on the fly, or the failure 
to field a hard hit ground ball, there will doubtless 
be some objection urged to the crediting a base hit 
for such apparently missed chance. But if any man 
will realize by practical experience the danger and 
difficulty of stopping a hot ground-ball that has had 
a rifle-like twist imparted to it by the blow of the 
bat, or of securely holding a similarly batted fly-ball 
he will not hesitate in awarding the batsman the 
credit of a base-hit for any such ball, which the fielder 
finds it impossible to stop or to grasp in time to put 
the striker out. Of course, there arc hot ground-balls 
that should be stopped and picked up in time, and 
which, if not so fielded, do not yield base-hits, as, 
also, hot-line balls, which, if not caught, give bases on 
errors. But the hits we refer to are exceptional ones; 
and when they are made, the batsmen who make 
them are entitled to the credit of base-hits. There 
are certain bounds to the ability of fielders to stop 
and catch balls, and these bounds are exceeded in 
the special cases we refer to. 



T36 THE ART OP CATTING. 

WHAT ARE NOT BASE HITS. 

We now come to the next important query con- 
nected with hitting for bases, and that is: "What is 
not a base hit?" and the reply is conveyed in the 
following described instances of failures to accept 
chances for outs. 

Fii'stly. — No ball which is hit so as to admit of 
its being fairly caught on the fl}-- can earn a base. 

Secondly. — No ball hit to any of the in-fielders in 
such a way as to admit of their picking it up and 
throwing it to any baseman in time to put an op- 
ponent out, can earn a base. 

Thirdly.-— ^o ball similarly hit to any in-fielder, 
and which is picked up neatly, but thrown too high 
or too low or wide to any baseman, can earn a l)ase. 

Foiu'thly. — No ball similarly hit, well picked up, 
and accurately thrown to a baseman, but which is 
mulTed by the basemen, can earn a base. 

Fifthly.— No ball hit so as to give an easy op- 
portunity to any fielder for a catch can earn a base, 
if the fielder, through the failure of the captain to 
call him or through any gross carelessness in fielding, 
fiils to avail himself of the plain 0])portunity for 
making the catch. 

Now, there is no questioning the fact that not one 
of the above hits is such as to be claimed as a base- 
hit, or a hit that earns a base. The rule which 
prevents a base being earned by any hit that is 
marked by a fielding error has its exception, and that 



THE ART OF BATTING. , ^7 

exception is when the bah is sent so swiftly and ! 

sharply from the bat as to render it ahnost impossible | 

for the pluckiest«of fielders to stop or hold it. But . 

all ordinary errors, such as dropped fly-balls, bad ,; 

mufl?s, wild throws, and failures on the part of base- \ 

players to hold good balls thrown to them — all count ! 

in preventing base-hits being made. A '< hot" ball | 
which is well stopped, but which, in the effort to 
grasp it, is fumbled, is in a majority of instances an 

error by the fielder, and prevents a base-hit; while : 

high or line-balls to the out field, which fielders run | 

in for and fail to hold in their efforts to catch them • 
while stooping low near the ground, cannot justly be 

regarded as errors, and in a majority of instances such : 

hits earn bases. Unfortunately this degree of latitude | 

in judging of base hits in doubtful cases, like the ex- 1 

ceptions above noted, open the door to quite a dif- ' 
ference in the records of official scores in match 

games, and hence the inaccuracy of so much of the 1 
data on which the season's averages are made out. 

EARNED RUNS. 

In regard to taking an account of runs scored by 

skilful batsmen two calculations have to be made ' 

one of runs earned from opportunities offered by the 1 
pitcher for base-hits, and the other of runs earned 
from chances given by the fielders for successful base- 
running. Of course, no runs can be earned off the 
pitching unless by base-hits; and no runs can be 
earned by chances given for successful base-running 



138 THE ART OF BATTING. 

through suck direct fielding errors as "dropped fly- 
balls/' " wild throws" a'ld "inufTed" or "iumbled" 
balls; or from such "bat-tery" errors as wild pitches, 
called balls, or passed bails. The definitions of the 
term used to designate direct fielding errors are, a 
missed catcJi ; a inuffed ball; a fumbled ball ; or a 
wide throw ; while those used for direct battery errors 
viz: errors on which bases are run or runs scored but 
not on "lives" given, are wild pitches^ \\\q. fourth called 
ball^ and passed balls^ a wild throw to a base by the 
catcher being as much of a direct fielding error as is 
a wild throw to a base by the pitcher. 

Any ball dropped by the fielder, fnir or foul, which 
he had a chance to catch, must be recorded as a 
"missed catch." The fact of his merely touching a 
fly -ball does not necessit^'.te the record of a miss; he 
must have had a faircbar.ce ofTered him to catch the 
ball. On the other hand, the failure to touch the 
ball does not absolve him from being charged with a 
missed catch ; for, if a high ball is hit which affords 
an easy chance for a catch, and the fielder, by lack of 
activity, or by a palpable error of judgment, fails to 
properly make an effort for the catch, he should be 
charged with the error. In the case of a chance for 
a catch, purposely missed in order to secure a chance 
for a double play from a "force off," no error should 
be charged unless the missed chance for the catch is 
followed by a bad throw to the base player, in which 
case the bad throw must be charged as the error. 

A fielder makes a "oJufF' when in his efforts to 



THE ART OF BATTING. 139 

field a ball he otily partially stops it, or foils to pick 
it up so as to throw it in time. This does not apply 
however, to cases of failures to stop or hold very 
swiftly-batted or thrown balls; but only to palpable 
errors in failing to field ordinary balls from the bat. 
A base-player failing to hold a ball not thrown wide 
to him, makes a muflf. But if the ball is thrown to 
iiim on the bound, no error is justly chargeable to him 
if he fails to hold it ; while if he does hold it, all the 
more credit Is due him. 

A fielder is said to <tfumble" or "juggle" a ball 
when, after stopping it, he has to try two or three 
times to pick it up to throw it. It is a variation of 
the "mufif," more fi-equently accidental than the re- 
sult of unskillful play. 

Wide or "wild" throws are made in two ways — 
first, by inaccuracy of aim ar,d unskilful throwing; 
and secondly, by tlie difficulty of stopping and pick- 
ing up a hot ball so as to throw it with comparative 
leisure. Hard hit balls to third base generally il- 
lustrate the difficulties attendant upon a good 
thrower's efforts to throw to the other bases ac- 
curately. A ball thrown over the head of a base- 
player or fielder, or to either side of him out of reach, 
or on a low bound, is a "wide throw." 

All these errors come under the head of "direct field- 
ino-" errors in contra-distinction to "battery errors," 
which include only passed balls, wild pitches and 
bases on called balls. Of course no errors follow a 
wild pitch or a passed ball unless a base is run on it. 



146 



THE ART OF tJATTtNG. 



"WiU^ pitches" arc balls sent in out of the legitimate 
reach of the catcher, and on which a base is run. 
Passed balls are balls "muffed" or "fumbled" by the 
catcher after having been pitched to him within his 
legitimate reach, and on which a base is run. In the 
case of a very swiftly-pitched ball which the catcher 
holds on the fly but which he cannot gather himself 
in time to throw to a base to cut off a player, an 
error ought not to be charged — except, perhaps, on 
the part of the pitcher in delivering so swiftly when 
players are running bases. 

In regard to called balls, of course, only a technical 
error can be charged to the pitcher on the fourth called 
ball which gives the base. It is very questionable wheth- 
er bases given on called balls should be included in the 
estimate of runs earned off the pitching. In the first 
place, the giving of a base on called balls depends too 
much upon the umpire's leniency or strictness in in- 
terpreting the rules, and it is difficult to judge fairly 
whether a base on called balls is due to the umpire's 
strictness, the pitcher's wild delivery, or his playing 
a point to get rid of a dangerous hitter; and, as some- 
times neither is at fault, the best way is to ignore 
called balls altogether, as something not to be used 
in estimating an earned run. While it is no discredit 
to a batsman to take a base on called balls, it certainly 
Is not an act to be very j^roud of; and it may there- 
fore be set down as neltherfor nor asfalnst the earning" 
of a run, and consequently we leave it out altogether. 

Runs earned from the pitcher include the following: 



THE ART OF BATTING. 141 

^/ri//r>— When four base-hits, each giving only 
one base, are made in succession. 

Secondly. -^"^"^^^-^ the striker makes a clean hotne. 

run. , , r . 

Thirdly.— \'^\'^'=-^-^ the first striker makes a hiSL- 
base hit, and the second makes a three-base hit, or 

vice versa. 

Fourthly. -^\-^^^^ the first striker makes a fiist- 
base hit, tlie second a hit which, though hmiting the 
striker to first-base, enables the base-runner to get 
to third, and the third striker a simple first-base hit. 
Ordinarily three first-base hits place only three men 

on bases without scoring a run. 

Fifthly —When the first striker makes a first-base 
hit, and the second striker is put out by a hit to the 
field which only admits of the striker being put out, 
and prevents the plaver, forced off, being put out by 
the ball being held at second,or by his being touched 
while running to second. In such case, should the 
third striker be similarly put out, thus allowing the 
base-runner to reach third, a base-hit by the fourth 
striker would yield an earned run, though only two 
first-base hits were made; and it would be earned off 
the pitching, as it is presumed to be a point of play 
on the part of the pitcher in cases when the first 
striker makes his firstbase,to deliver the ball so as to 
force the batsman to hit the ball to an in-fielder, in 
order that the fielder may capture the base-runner 
"forced off; "and if he fails to do this he is to be 



142 THE ART OF RATTING. 

charged with the style of punishment which an 
earned run gives. 

Runs earned from the field differ from those earned 
off the pitching, to the extent that sharp hasc-running 
comes into play as a hasis of earned runs off the 
fielding, while successful base-running does not enter 
into the calculation of runs earned off the pitching 
alone. 

PLACING THE BALL. 

The highest degree of skill in scientific batting is 
reached when the batsman can "place a ball" — sent in 
by swift curved-line pitching — in any part of the field 
he chooses. It is, however, the most diflicult of all 
batting feats wliich a batsman can attempt. There 
are so many points to be learned so as to become 
thoroughly familiar with them, before tliis jDlacing of 
a ball can be accomplished, that it is rarely that one 
sees this finishing touch in the art of batting exhibited. 
But when it is at command, what an immense ad- 
vantasre it sfives the batsman in outwitting: his ficld- 
ing opponents, and what an aid it is in sending 
runners round from first-base to home-base. Then 
it is that the necessity for making the j^bncing of a 
ball a feature of a batsman's work becomes plainly 
apparent. When the professional fraternity have 
gone through the " slugging" era, and the ambition 
to excel in the home-run style of batting has been 
superseded by more scientific work in handling the 
ash, the coming batsmen of the future will look back 
with surprise to think that they should, fnr so many 



THE ART OF BATTING. 143 

years, have neglected so valuable nii adjunct of leally 
effective and successful batting. To hear the general 
class of batsmen comment on the efforts made to 
place a ball in a match, one would be apt to think 
that it was something next to impossible. The fact 
is, however, the majority of batsmen are too loth to 
take the necessary pains to learn how to place a ball. 
When do you ever see a team practicing scientific 
batting, or trying to learn to place a ball? When a 
nine takes the field for preliminary practice before 
the beginning of a match, some of them take their ac- 
customed positions in the field while two of them bat 
"fungo" balls — balls that are tossed up in the air and 
hit as they fall — to the fielders, and that is about all 
the practice they get as batsmen. In April, 1S84, we 
saw something better than this attempted on the 
Philadelphia Club field under Harry Wright's tuition, 
when the batsmen were allo\ved to bat at a dozen 
balls, each pitched to them for hitting purposes. As 
a general rule all the practice batting is for the pur- 
pose of giving chances for catches to the fielders. 
This is of great benefit in fielding improvement, and 
it is one of the reasons why the fielding leads the bat- 
ting in its progress tov/ard perfect play. 

What batsmen require for j^ractice in learning to 
place balls is to practice against swift curve-line 
j^itching. First, to bat against the "out curves," 
then against the "in curves;" then to try the 
various " shoots." But above all, should the batsman 
practice wrist play in handling the bat against swift 



144 THE ART OF BATTING. 

pitching. Tho most effective placing of the ball is 
clone when runners are on bases and basemen neces- 
sarily hug their bases closer. With a runner on first 
base, and especially with one on second, a wrist-play 
hit of a swiftly pitched ball — almost a tap of the ball, 
as it were — will place the ball safely to right field and 
short of the outfielders' position. When a runner, 
too, is at second, and the second baseman and short- 
stop's attention is taken up by him, a similarly short 
hit high ball over the second baseman's head will 
earn a base, while a quick, sharp hit of the kind made 
while " facing for tlie pitcher," will frequently clear 
the third baseman's reach and send home the runner 
from second. Club managers or the captains of 
teams — whichever of the two have the daily training 
of the team in hr.nd — should insist upon batting prac- 
tice in placing the ball, for until this is done very lit- 
tle improvement in batting can be expected. 

SACRIFICE HITTING. 

An essential part of good team work in batting is 
" sacrifice hitting." This is done whenever a bats- 
man, in his efF*rts to place a ball properly when 
runners are on bases, hits the ball to the field in such 
a way as to oblige the fielders to put the runner out 
at first base, thereby enabling the runner at first base 
when the hit is made, to reach his second base safely. 
This sacrifice hitting is nearly equivalent to a base 
hit; in fact, it is fully as effective when it is done at 
the time a runner is at third base and only one man 



THE ART OF BATTING. 



145 



out, for then it insures a run, and it is then really 
more valuable t1ian a base hit made when no runners 
are on the bases. But sacrifice hits can only follow 
efforts to place a ball at right field, for otherwise they 
are merely chance hits. One advantage of a sacrifice 
hit is, that it relieves the batsman of the onus of being- 
charged with a poor hit, the latter being, of course, a 
hit to the field which alTords a plain chance for an 
out, either in the form of an easy catch or a chance to 
throw a ruunei- out, whether that runner is the striker 
or a runner forced ofT. Of course no sacrifice hit can 
be made when two men are out, nor when there 
are no runners on bases. Every sacrifice hit which 
sends a runner home ought to be regarded as a base 
hit. Indeed, it is questionable whether all sacrifice 
hits made before more than one man is out should 
not be so credited, as they yield a base each time. No 
batsman can make a sacrifice hit if he goes to the bat 
simply with the idea of "slugging" at the ball, aS 
then his being put out by a hit which sends the run- 
ner round to the next base, is entirely an accidental 
hit. It is only when he makes an effort to place the 
ball, and in that effort hits it so as to make it a sacri- 
fice, that he is worthy of the credit of it. 

Under the new Code of Rules of 1889 sacrifice 
hitting is given recognition in Schedule 4 of Rule 68, 
as follows : 

" Sec. 4. In the fourth column shall be placed Sacri- 
fice Hits, which shall be credited to the batsman, who 
when but one man is out advances a runner a base on 



146 THE ART OF BATTING. 

a fly to the outfield or a ground liit, 'which results in 
])utting out the batsman, or would so result if handled 
without error." 

FUNGOES. 
There is no worse habit for batsmen to indulge in, 
than that of batting " fungo " balls; that is, tossing the 
ball in the air and hitting it to the tiekl. It trains the 
eye to meet the ball in batting it in a manner which 
never occurs in actual play. It ought to be prohibited 
on every w^ell regulated ball field. If it be necessary 
to practice the fielder in making catches, or in stop- 
ping and fielding ground balls, let some outsider or 
other employe than the team player do the batting. 
And yet no match takes place on a professional 
ground that some two or more of the players of the 
team, in their preliminary practice, do not engage in 
fungo baiting; in fact, they have no other practice at 
the bat than this child's play styk of hitting. When 
facing the regular pitching in a match, they have to 
bat against swiftly delivered balls, indeed, some are 
almost a direct line to the bat — and in order to meet 
such balls with effect, they need all the practice they 
can have in learning to sigfht such line balls. It can 
easily be seen, therefore, what a bad effect practice in 
hitting at balls which fall to the ground at right angles 
to the line of the pitcher's regular delivery has. 

HOME RUN HITTING. 

All batsmen who go in for a record strive their ut- 
most to make home runs. They are well aware of 
the fact, that the majority of spectators at a match — 



THE ART OF BATTING. I47 

especially in country towns — know little or nothing 
of what constitutes real skill in batting; the prevail- 
ing idea with the crowd being, that the best batsman 
is the "slugger," who manages to scratch a home run 
once out of every thirty times at the bat. 

The eclat attendant upon a dashing hit of the kind is 
too tempting to resist, and hence they throw team 
work in batting to the dogs, and go in for a style of 
batting which pleases the crowd, though it proves 
costly in the long run to the success of a team in 
taking the lead in a championship race. A brief 
glance at the cost of a home lun in wear and tear of 
a batsman's physical strength, will show what a draw- 
back the slugging style of batting is progressing 
toward scientific hitting and thorough team work at 
the bat. Suppose nine men of one side in a match, 
go to the bat, and the first eight make single base hits 
in succession; the result will be that, when the ninth 
man goes to the bat, five runs will have been scored 
and earned, and three men will be occupants of 
bases; and all this will have been done at the least 
possible expenditure of physical strength in running 
bases. Suppose, on the other hand, that the first five 
men of the other side had made clean home runs, and 
that the other three were on bases, ready to be batted 
home by the ninth man, as in the case of the nine 
men first at the bat in the game. What would then 
have been accomplished? Simply the same number 
of runs as by the single base hitters, but at what com- 
parative cost would the runs have been obtained? 
The answer is, that while, in the first case, the bats- 



I4S THE ART OF BATTING. 

men who had scored and earned their runs by single 
hits, would be free from fatii^ue in running bases, 
and ready for active field work at once; the home 
run hitters would be partially exhausted with their 
hundred and twenty yards spurts at their utmost 
speed, and unfit for their field duties without, some 
rest. This is but one view of the subject of the 
costly character of the home run style of hitting, 
when compared to first-class team work in batting, 
in going in for single base hits, and good sacrifice hits 
after trying to place balls. Home runs are, of course, 
usefid, but they should only be made the chief effort 
of a batsman's play in team work when the bases are 
occupied, and it will pay to run the chance of failure. 
Even then we prefer to see a good placer of a ball 
come to the bat, rather than a slugger. Another 
objection to home run hitters, lies in the fact, that, as 
a class, they become the easiest victims to strategic 
pitching. Besides the desire for the eclat attached 
to home run hitting elicited by the applause from the- 
ignorant crowd, which acts as an inducement, there arc 
the scoring rules of the game, and the mistaken sys 
tem of press reporting in vogue. The former give • 
official prominence to the records of total base-hir 1 
and ignores sacrifice-hits. The reporters, as a get 
eral rule, see nothing worthy of special praise aside 
from "two-baggers,'' "three-baggers,'' and "home- 
runs." The custom of singling out for publication 
the names of batsmen who make these hits and runs 
is responsible for their striving more for this sort of 
glory than for the best interests of the club they 



THE ART OF liAiriNG. I49 

1-epresent. Alike in the field and at tlie bat, a man 
may do the most cfFectivc work in that branch of 
base ball technically called "sacrifice-play,'' and yet 
not receive a word of credit for it at the hands oi 
many of the reporters. Only let him get in a home- 
run, even though it be off the weakest kind of pitch- 
ing, and down will go his name in the score, and 
laudatory press reports will follow. All this is a hin- 
drance to the policy of "playing for the side," which 
is the great essential of success, and the only way 
for players to render a club the most effective service. 
Were the recording of two and three base-hits and 
home-runs abandoned as a feature of scoring, and the 
recording of sacrifice-hits and other points of play 
incidental to earnest and honest co-operative work 
substituted, there would be much less of "playing for 
a record," regardless of the club interests, than there 
now is. 

WAITING FOR GOOD BAT.I.S. 

The waiting for good balls is a strong point to 
play on a pitcher if it be properly done; but it will 
not do to wait for balls as too many batsmen do, that 
is to wait until they get a certain particular ball which 
is a pet ball with them. One thing essential in 
waiting for good balls is to be always ready to take 
prompt advantage of them when they do come, 
and not to be caught napping while out of good 
form for hitting. It is no discredit to a batsman to 
be sent to his base on called balls; on the contrary 
if he has the keen sight and good judgment to stand 



150 THE ART OF BATTING. 

at the bat ready every time the ball is pitched to meet 
it and Iiit it to advantage— something requiring nervy 
play m the face of a battery of sv^ift curved balls — 
and he can thus drive the pitcher into giving him his 
base on balls, the batsman is playing a good point. 
Asa rule, the batsman who can judiciously wait for 
good balls is a player who very frequently proves 
troublesome to quick-tempered pitchers. These latter 
dislike being foiled in their efforts to get batsmen out 
of form, and when they find a man waiting patiently 
ball after ball until one comes within reach, and also 
showing himself to be on the alert to meet tJie 
first good ball that comes within his reach, they are 
very npl to begin to put on extra speed and thereby 
lose command of the ball to an extent sufiicient to 
have balls called on them, and the result is that the 
batsman is rewarded for his skilful policy by having 
his base given him on called balls. Wait for good 
balls, but do it while being fully on the alert to meet 
them when they do come in. 

BATTING FOR THE SIDE. 

Up to the season of 1888 there was not one out of 
twenty professional batsmen who ever troubled them- 
selves about playing for the side at the bat. Fielders 
might do it sometimes, because a failure to do so is 
more apparent to outsiders than it is in batting. But to 
sacrifice the prevailing ambition to play for a batting 
record at the shiine of playing for the side is 
seldom thought of by the majority of the professional 
class of batsmen. Batting for the side is only shown 
when the efforts of the batsman are exerted solely 



THE ART OF BATTING. ^5^ 

in the interests of enabling his side to score runs. 
For instance, suppose the first striker has made a base 
hit and earned and secured first base. The point for 
the succeeding batsman to play before all others is to 
get that runner forwarded to second base or further 
round if he can. The batsman who goes in for a 
record only, never troubles himself about the runner 
who is on the base waiting for a chance to steal to 
the next base, or to be batted round. He only thinks 
of the "big hit" he wants to make on his own special 
account. If in striving for this special hit, he either 
forces the runner out and thereby gets a base himself 
or is put out by a running catch in the out-field he 
considers himself in "hard luck" when such a result 
is entirely due to his willful and studied neglect of 
scientific batting. On the other hand if he is a team 
player — that is a player who in his biitting as well as 
fielding makes his own special record of secondary 
importance to the interests of the team as a whole in 
winning the game, his whole attention when he goes 
to the bat will be devoted to the point of doing his 
best to forward the runner round, if on first base, or 
in getting the runner home if the latter is on third. 
In other words, he does his best to play for the side. 
In doing this he is just as ready to make a sacrifice 
hit as in any other way to give advantage to the 
team he is in. 

PLAYING FOR A RECORD. 

Though, under the existing method of making out 



152 THE ART OP BATTING. 

the 3'early averages of a ©limteaiii, It apparently pays 
A batsman better to play for a record than to bat for 
the side In his team work, the hitter poHcy In the 
long run will Inure more to his ultimate benefit than 
any mere record playing. The latter shows In the 
list of averages and that Is all It does. Take the 
nine men who lead In the average at the bat In the 
records of a season's play and place them In a team 
against nine men who are known to excel in good 
team work In batting for the side, and the former 
would prove to be no match for the latter In winning 
the series of matches for the championship. 

In the first place it is not such batting as 
Is now In vogue that wins matches, but superior field- 
ing and base running, the latter especially. When 
batsmen learn the art of skilful batting then that de 
jDartment of the game will be more of an essential oi 
success In winning matches than It now Is. In the 
meantime sharp base running and good field support 
of effective pitching has far more to do with victory 
than has the style of batting hitherto In vogue, which 
is largely that of batting for a record. 

It would surprise some of the managers of base 
ball clubs could they get at the Inside of the profes- 
sional player's work and see how many batsmen 
sacrifice the interests of their club by efforts to play 
for an Individual record. The publishing of weekly 
and monthly averages at the bat also tends strongly 
to Induce the batsmen to go for Individual records; 
and It is pertinent to remark just here that the 



THE ART OF BATTING. l53 

season's averages as far as published exhil)it very 
plainly the utter useless^aess of attempting to estimate 
a player's value to his team by the figures of his 
batting averages. 

CONFIDENCE IN HITTING. 

Confidence in one's ability to hit the ball with 
effect is half the battle in batting. To go up to the 
bat with a feeling of expectancy of failure and only a 
hope of success, is simply to court defeat. Confidence 
in hitting is born of a plucky and nervy determina- 
tion to deserve success by skillful eff'orts to secure it. 
It won't do to face the p tcher with any feeling of 
doubt as to your ability to punish his pitching; nor 
can you attain any degree of confidence in batting if 
you have any fear of the .speed of the delivery. You 
must face the hot fire courageously, depending upon 
keen sight to watch the direction of the ball closely ; 
and also stand in such form, when ready to meet the 
ball from a swift delivery, as to insure your being 
able to step aside safely to avoid the impending blow 
from a badly pitched ball. There is an innate feeling 
of confidence in one's ability to hit the ball, which is 
the result of a practical knowledge of all the jooints 
of play in batting, whirh leads a batsman skilled in 
scientific hitting to punisK pitching when the slugging 
style of batsman invariably fails. Such a batsman 
goes up to the bat without a doubt as to his being 
able to " hit the pitching," and this confident feeling 
is the ver}^ power which enables him to succeed. 



1.54 THE ART OF BATTING. 

Without it, practice in batting fails of its primary 
purpose, which is to give the batsman confidence in 
hitting. The difference between being confident in 
hitting and kicking confidence, is often strikingly 
illustrated when batsmen fiice a noted strategist for 
the first time. If, when they go to the bat, they are 
told that they are about to face the most effective 
pitcher in the country, they will at once imagine 
that every ball he sends in is fraught with some dan- 
ger or other to the hope of a successful hit, which 
at once deprives them of what little confidence they 
otherwise might have had. On the other hand, if 
the pitcher is one they only know of as an untried 
man in the position — no matter what his real ability 
may be — they go up to the bat with a degree of con- 
fidence which almost insures success at the outset. 
Frank Pidgeon's remark to the Eckfords when they 
went to the bat to face the Atlantics in the olden 
days, illustrates the depressing effect prestige of skill 
has in depriving batsmen of confidence in hitting. 
Frank said to his men one ckiy, on the old Manor 
House grounds, when the Eckfords were losing 
ground in their game with the Atlantics, " Go up to 
the bat, men, and forget all about these fellows being 
the Atlantics, and think they are only an ordinary 
nine you're playing against." It is just such a feeling 
as Frank referred to in this case that loses half the 
games played. Indeed, some teams, when they face 
noted rival?, are beaten before they strike a single 
blow. 



THE ART OF BATTINC. 155 

Sometimes a sudden degree of confidence is in. 
spired in a certain class of batsmen, when they reach 
a particular innings in a match, one, for instance, in 
which tliey have been generally lucky enough to score 
runs; and it frequently happens that they will then 
and there "get onto a streak of batting " which will 
enable tbeni to c^raiic ddcat. it w.-^s a jieruliarity of tho 
old Atlantic batsmen that they never felt discouraged 
or lost hope of ultinoate success in a match until the 
last man was out in the last innings, and the feeling 
of confidence in batting which was thus inspired, en- 
abled them to pull many an apparently lost game out 
of the fire. Let a man go up to the bat to face the 
pitcher with the idea that he is too difficult a pitcher 
to punish, and the very lack of confidence in his own 
power will make him an easy victim. Let, however, 
the batsman face the pitching confident that he can, 
by his quick sight, command of the bat, and ability to 
prevent the fielder from outwitting him, make good 
hits, and as sure as the ball comes within his legiti- 
mate reach he will hit it safely five times out of six. 
To retain this confidence, therefore, is the essential 
point in batting; to destroy it, the great point in 
pitching. 

THE ORDER OF STRIKING. 

The placing of batsmen in their order of striking, 
is an important part of a captain's duties. Hitherto 
very little judgment, as a rule, has been exhibited in 
this work. In watching the team's play at the bat 
:n practice games early in the spring, note particularly 



15^ THE ART OF BATTING. 

their style of hitting, and according to the pecidiari- 
ties of their melhod of batting, place them in their 
order at the bat. 

In arranging your order of striking, see that strong 
hitters follow poor batsmen, and that the good base 
runners precede them. For instance, suppose your 
best out fielder, or your pitcher or catcher, is not as 
skillful at the bat as the others, in placing him on the 
books as a striker put a good base runner's name 
down before him, and a good hitter after him; by 
this means the chances for the first base being vacated 
by the time he is ready to make it, will be increased, 
as likewise those for two runs being obtained after he 
has made his base. Never put three first-class men 
together, but let them face the pitcher alternately. 
Neither put three poor hitters together, but support 
each, if possible, as above recommended. Let your 
first striker always be the coolest hand of the nine. 

A NINE AT THE BAT. 

In managing your nine at the bat, see that the 
striker is not teased by others of the nine into hit- 
ting at a ball that does not suit him. Nothing is 
more annoying to a batsman than to have two or 
three calling out to him to wait for this ball, or 
to hit at that, or not to hit at another, and so on. 
Every man knows what ball he wants, and should be 
allowed to use his own judgment. If the position of 
the game requires that the striker should either be 



THE ART OF BATTING. 1^7 

more particular than usual in selecting a ball, or 
less so, let him be quietly posted on the subject 
before he takes his stand, or otherwise you ex- 
pose your hand to your opponent. Nothing bothers 
a field more than for batsmen to follow up a good 
hit by striking quickly in succession, and running 
the bases rapidly. In such cases extra risks may 
be taken, especially when two bases are occupied, 
for the result of two or three sharp hits in succes- 
sion is to discourage the pitcher, get him excited, 
and the field confused. Consider that you have 
always gained a point, and a good one too, when 
you have got your opponents growling at each 
other in the field, for nothing tends to demoralize a 
nine more than fault-finding at just such periods of 
a game as this. Many a brilliant rally — the result 
of following up a lucky hit with quick play at the 
bat — has led nines to victory where defeat would cer- 
tainly have ensued had the opposing nine in the field 
preserved their coolness and judgment instead of los- 
ing their tempers, and their presence of mind. 
Watch the movements of the fielders and warn your 
batsmen accordingly. When a change of pitching- 
is made from fast to slow, put your batsmen on their 
guard so that they may make a change in timing the 
ball. 



■58 



THE ART OF BATTING. 



FOUL AND FAIR BALLS. 



The important difference between balls hit high 
from the bat and those hit almost directly to the 
<;round, as applicable to the rule defining fair and foul 
hit balls, is frequently lost sight of, alike by players 
and spectators. If a ball be hit up in the air it becomes 
''fair" or "foul" according to its falling on "fiiir" or 
"foul" ground. But if it be Jiit direct to the ground^ 
it becomes "fair" or "foul" according to its JiJial stop- 
page on "fair" or "foul" ground before passing cither 
first or third base. The appended diagram illustrates 
the difference above referred to. 



^<>c^:.,v.^^-=- 




Under the new rules a ball batted to the ground 
which touches or rolls over first or third bases is a 
Fair ball. To be I^oid it must pass to foul ground 
before touching or passing over or by either first oi 
third bases. 



Tim ART OF BASE RUNNING. 1 59 

THE ART OF BASE RUNNING. 

Each season's experience only shows more and 
more the fact that good base running is one of the 
most important essentials of success in winning games. 
Effective pitching is a great aid to success, so is skill- 
ful batting; but it is equally as necessary to a suc- 
cessful issue of a contest after a base has been ob- 
tained by a good hit, that other bases should be 
secured by skillful running of bases. It is a difficult 
task to get to first base safely in the fice of the effect- 
ual fire from a first-class club " battery," backed up 
by good support in the field; but it is still more diffi- 
cult when the base is. safely reached, to secure the 
other three bases. The fact is, a greater degree of 
intelligence is required in the player who would excel 
in base running than is needed either in fielding or in 
batting. Any soft-brained heavy weight can occa. 
sionally hit a ball for a home run, but it requires a 
shrewd, intelligent player, with his wits about him, 
to make a successful base runner. Indeed, base run- 
ning is the most difficult work a player has to do in 
the game. To cover infield positions properly, a de- 
gree of intelligence in the players is required which 
the majority do not as a general rule possess; but to 
excel in base running such mental qualifications are 
required as only a small minority are found to jDossess. 
Presence of mind, prompt action on the spur of the 
moment; quickness of perception, and coolness and 
nerve are among the requisites of a successful base 
nsnner. Players habitually accustomed to hesitate to 



r^)0 TliR ART OF BASE RUNNING. 

do this, that or the other, in attending to the varied 
points of a game, can never be^zome good base run- 
ners. There is so httle time allowed to judge of the 
situation that prompt action becomes a necessity with 
the base runner. He must "hurry up" nil the time. 
Then, too, he must be daring in taking risks, while at 
the same time avoiding recklessness in his running. 
Though fast running is an important aid in base run- 
ning, a fast lunner who lacks judgment, coolne*, and, 
in fact, "hcadwork*' in his running, will not equal a 
poor runner who possesses the nerve and intelligence 
required for the work. The great point in the art of 
base running is to know Avheni to start, and to start 
promptly when the favorable opportunity is offered. 
One difficulty a base runner, trying to steal to second, 
invariably ewcounters, is his having to watch either 
the pitcher or catcher closely. He cannot watch 
both carefully, and thercjforc he must make his selec- 
tion as to which player he will look after. If the 
catcher is an accurate and swift thrower to the bases, 
he is the man to be attended to. But if the pitcher is 
one who has a method of delivery which includes a 
number of s-pecial movements which occupy rnore 
than the ordinary time in delivering the ball, then he 
is the man to watch, for he will surely afford the run- 
ner the required opportunity to steal a base or to 
secure a balk, if the runner only plays his part prop- 
erly. A sharp base runner can bother a pitcher ex- 
ceedingly by skillful dodging. It requires no small 
amount of nerve and coolness for a pitcher to watch 
a runner closely, and yet to play the strategical points 
of his pitching with full effect. 



THE ART OF BASE IIUNXING. l6l 

For many years past, season after season, have we 
endeavored to impress upon the professional fraternity 
the importance of skiUfiil base running in winning 
matches, as well as to show them the many fine 
points that were capable of being developed in first 
class base running. Judging from the fact that the 
finest base running ever witnessed in the professional 
arena was exhibited during the season of 1888, the 
indications are that the lessons that have been taught 
have at last yielded fruit. With all the skill shown last 
season in this special department of the game, there 
are yet some things to be learned. Experience is fre- 
quently a good teacher, but her lessons are costly at 
times. There are players, however, who will not 
derive their knowledge of how to play the points of the 
game well from any other source, and hence it is that 
years have been required to develop a degree of skill 
in base play and base running which miglit otherwise 
have been attained in a single season or two. 

POINTS OF PLAY IN BASE RUNNING. 

The moment a batsman hits a ball he should run 
for first base with all his speed. lie has no business 
to stop and see if the ball will be caught and fielded; 
he should act at all times as if a chance was offered to 
reach first, and go for that base as fast as he can. 
Many a base has been lost by the refusal of the bats- 
man to run because he thought the hit ball would 
surely be caught, or be easily fielded to first base in 
time. He should never take either event as some- 



l62 THE ART OF BASE RUNNING. 

thing granted, but expect errors to aid him and act 
accordingly. 

In running down to second, when a runner is on 
third base, he should run in such a way as to invite 
a throw to second to cut him off, and then try to get 
the attention of the infielders fixed on his own move- 
ments so as to give the runner on third base a chance 
to get home. Of course in playing this point it must 
be done only when there is but one man out, unless 
the situation is such as to make a single run decisive 
in ending the contest, in which case his play will be 
to delay the putting out of himself between first and 
second until the runner on third crosses the home 
plate, or otherwise the run will not count. 

In running to first base the runner should be care- 
ful to avoid running in front of the base line, because 
that alone puts him out. It is always safe, too, to 
turn to the right after overrunning first base, unless 
the hit is very sure for more than one base, as he can- 
not profit by the rule of exemption from being put out 
after overrunning the base if he turns to the left. 

In running bases on fly balls caught in the outfield, 
the moment such high ball is hit, and there is an}^ 
chance of its being caught, he should hold the base 
he occupies, and in such a way as to be ready to start 
quickly for the next base the moment the ball is 
caught, and not run half way down first, only to have 
to return and touch the base he left after the ball is 
caught, before he can run to the next base. 

When two men are out, and a runner is on third, 



THE ART OF BASE RUNNING. 163 

and the batted ball is being fielded to cut off a runner 
between second and third — not forced off — the runner 
on third should make the best time possible in running 
home, so as to cross the plate before the other runner 
is put out, otherwise his run will not count. 

One question a base runner has to consider in taking 
risks, is, what are the chief obstacles to my success ? 
These are chiefly swift and accurate throwing by the 
catchers to the basemen ; surety in holding the ball, 
and activity of movement in touching a runner on the 
part of the baseman. Now, all of these essentials are 
materially affected by the degree of confidence a 
catcher or baseman has in his ability to catch a runner 
napping Given a quick runner, who lacks judgment 
as to the time to start for a base, and who is apt to 
hesitate ; and a good thrower from home to second, 
with a good man at second to take the ball, and the 
latter will catch the former napping four times out of 
six. But let these same two fielders have a sharp, 
shrewd and daring base runner, like Ward, of New- 
York, Kelly, of Chicago, Latham, of St. Louis, and a 
few others who could be named, to bother them, and, in 
four cases out of six, they will lose confidence in their 
work, and the result will be the safety of the reckless 
base runner. Runners like the above named players, 
" rattle " the swiftest of throwers from home to second, 
and also the surest holders of balls at bases. Better to 
run a great risk than to take no risk at all in your run- 
ning. 



164 THE ART OF BASE RUNNING. 

WATCHING THE PITCHER. 

Runners to bases from first to second should watch 
the delivery of the pitcher closely, for from the 
peculiarity of his style of delivery will they get their 
cue for a good start. Some pitchers have a totally 
different manner of delivering the ball when a run- 
ner on a base to that which he has when the bases 
are clear. The difference should be watched closely 
and taken advantage of. In doing this, too, watch 
the pace of the delivery, for there is a point for the 
runner in this, inasmuch as some catchers find it im- 
possible to gather well for an accurate throw, unless 
the ball is sent in with less speed than ordinary. 
Watch also the position of the catcher, as to his 
standing right behind the center of the home plate 
or to the right of it; for if the latter, he is then pre- 
pared to throw it to a base; if not, the pitcher will 
then mostly be sending the ball in hot for strikes, 
in which case the runner will have a show to take a 
base. 

FAILING TO RUN QUICK. 

A base runner ought to be fined by his manager 
every time he fails to run at his best the moment he 
drops his bat at the home plate, or starts from any 
other base, either on a hit or on a force. It simply 
shows stupidity or indifference, to run slow, or to stop 
running, simply because an apparently sure catch or 
an out is before you. Nothing is sure in base ball, 
and, therefore, the plan is to play for uncertain results 
in the fielding all the time ; that is, play to expect a 



THE ART OF BASE RUNNING. 165 

ball to be muffed, or dropped, or badly thrown. This 
is the secret in the success of daring base running. 

OVER-RUNNING BASES. 

The rule allowing the first base to he over-run was 
adopted in 1870, and it has become a permanent law 
of the game. The proposition now is to apply the 
same rule to the other bases, and there is everything 
to favor it. In the first place, there is no doubt that 
allowing all the bases to be over-run will save many a 
sprained ankle and injured limb, while in no respect 
does it take from the interest of the game or lessen 
the skill required in base play. There is not the least 
merit in putting out a player who has over- run second 
or third base, the skill of the baseman alone being 
shown in putting him out before he touches the base. 
In applying the rule to all the bases, it will be best to 
require the player over-running second and third, if 
not the first, to return and retouch the over-run base 
If the rule be not the same for all bases, the umpire 
will find it difficult to decide points on second and 
third bases, which would not be the case if the base 
runner were required to return and retouch the base. 

LEAVING A BASE TOO QUICKLY. 

It should be a rule governing every man at the bat 
that whenever his play makes him a base runner 
temporarily or otherwise— he should drop his bat at 
once and make every effort to reach first base without 
regard to the hit he makes or the nature of the play 
which makes him a runner. Time and again have 
we seen runners from home base put out entirely 



l66 THE ART OF CASE RUNNING. 

from their neglect to do their best to reach first base, 
simply because they thought the ball was hit so as to 
make a catch certain on its being fielded to first in 
time an easy task. No chance for a catch or for field- 
ding a ball in time is certain in base ball. To s op 
running after starting for first on the basis of such a 
certainty is folly, and any player who indulges in it 
should be fined for committing a willful error. 

Never leave a held base until it is absolutely sure 
that you are out, or obliged to return from a base. 
Many a runner has been put out when he was safe 
from not being sure before he left his base to return 
from the diamond that he was actually out, or that 
the inning was ended. 

OVER-RUNNING FIRST BASE. 

In over-running first base, runners will have to bear 
in mind the fact that under the new rules every run 
ner over-running first base, must turn to the right as 
he passes the base, or otherwise he forfeits exemption 
from being put out in returning to touch the base. 
He should also remember that after over-running first 
base he is not obliged to return and touch the base 
before running to second, unless in over-running it he 
failed to touch it in passing it. The runner, therefore, 
should always touch the base in passing it, and then 
it becomes optional with him to return to the base 
and touch it, or continue on to second base. In other 
words, he is not obliged to retouch first base after 
over-running and touching it once. 

It should be borne in mind that in turning to the 



THE ART OF BASE RUNNING. 167 

right or left, after over-running first base, it all de- 
pends as to whether you are on foul ground or not, as 
the new rules admit of the runner turning to the right 
or left on foul ground. But it is best always to turn 
to the right. 

The sliding in business will be easier this season than 
ever before, on account of the runners being saved 
from bruised hips by the use of the new sliding pad. 
A new reading of an old proverb comes in apropos 
here, and that is : " A slide in time saves an out."*' 
Practice makes perfect in doing the slide effectively. 
Be prompt in getting up sharply after a slide in, as the, 
ball may be muffed in the collision. 

Under the new code of 1889 base runners are not 
required to return and retouch bases in returning to 
the bases they left when a foul ball is hit. For in- 
stance, if a runner reaches third on a foul ball hit before 
he becomes aware that the ball was foul, he can return 
direct to home base instead of going round the diamond 
as was required in 1888. 

In the case, too, of a fair hit being made when a 
runner is on first base, and the hit ball touches the per- 
son or the clothing of the umpire while he is on fair 
ground, the base runner is entitled to the base he ran 
to when the hit was made. 

When a runner is on first base and is trying to steal 
to second, and the catcher, in throwing the ball to 
second to cut the runner off, hits th"e person or 
clothing of the umpire when he is standing on fair 
ground, the runner is obliged to return to the base he 
left when the throw was made. 



i68 

POINTS IN THE GAME, 



CHANGING THE BATTERY. 

A very important point for a captain of a nine to 
consider is that of changing his battery, when tlie 
batting side is beginning to become confident in their 
hitting. Too little of this change of pitching in a 
game, as a strategic point to play, was done last sea- 
son, and more than should have been on an errone- 
ous estimate of the pitcher's alleged punishment by 
the batting side. 

A strong point for a captain to play in the matter 
of changing pitchers in a game, is to keep a sharp 
lookout for the time when his batting opponents be- 
gin to get confidence in hitting ; for, the moment they 
do then is the time to change your pitcher, even if 
he is not being punished to any serious extent. Con- 
fidence is a great thing in a ball match, whether in 
regard to fielding or batting, but in batting it is 
everything. The spurts in hitting, which so fre- 
quently puzzle the calculations of a pitcher, are en- 
tirely the result of a sudden accession of confidence 
in the batsmen, who follow the lead of a successful 
base-hitter with hit after hit, where previous innings' 
play had seen them retire from easy chances given the 
field. The moment, therefore, the captain sees this 
confidence attained, he should change his pitcher at 
once, no matter whether he is being punished or not, 
it being very important to nip this kind of thing in 
the bud. Of course, it is alway proper for a cap- 



POINTS IN THE GAME. 169 

tain to change his pitcher when he finds that he is 
being badly punished ; but he should be sure, before 
this is done, that he has been punished. And the 
captain should bear in mind the important fact that 
no pitcher can be punished by his batting opponents 
unless his pitching be hit for earned runs. A pitcher 
is never punished by batsmen so long as no runs are 
being earned by base-hits. If he gives chances for 
outs off his pitching which his field support fails to 
accept, the fault is with the fielders, and not in the 
pitching. This changing of pitchers on the basis of 
base hits scored from the delivery, without regard to 
the runs scored being earned or not, is a blunder, as 
well as an injustice to the pitcher. There is another 
cause for a pitcher's being punished by the batsmen 
which was last season too seldom taken into account, 
and that is the fact that a pitcher is frequently ob- 
liged to *^ let up " on his catcher, when the latter has 
either been disabled by some injury to his hands, or 
in some other way been prevented from playing up to 
his customary high mark behind the bat. In such a 
case a change of pitchers is comparatively useless. 
In thus reducing his speed, and thereby the effective- 
ness of his curve, the pitcher necessarily lays himself 
oi)en to punishment at the hands of his batting op- 
ponents. In such a case, if there is no strong change 
catcher at command, it becomes a question as to 
which is the more costly — the passed balls and 
missed fly tips consequent upon the inability of the 
catcher to support the regular speed of his pitcher, or 
the chances offered for base hits off the reduced pace. 



lyo POINTS IN THE GAME. 

and the lessened effect of the curve necessitated by 
the pitcher's being obliged to " let up " on his catcher. 

CHANGING POSITIONS. 

One of the now obsolete customs of a match game 
of ball used to be the change of positions in the field 
nearly every inning. As a general thing, this is the 
merest child's play. In the early part of the season, 
when engaged in an unimportant match with a 
weaker nine, a change or two may be allowable by 
way of experience; but under no circumstances, ex- 
cept those of illness or injury, should a position in the 
nine— except that of the pitcher — be changed during 
playing of a nutch, or, in fact, during the entire sea- 
son, unless you can substitute a palpably superior 
player, or in case experience proves the inability of 
any one man to properly play his position in a nine. 
The folly of taking a base player off because he fails to 
hold a ball or two badly thrown or swiftly batted to 
him, or of putting a base player in the field because the 
fielder happens to drop a difficult ball to hold, or even 
to miss any easy catch, is so apparent to any ordinary 
observer, that we are surprised to see it adopted by any 
but captains of weak judgment. What reasons have 
you to suppose that the player committing an error in 
one position, and that, -too, one he is familiar with, is 
going to do better in one he is not at home in ; and 
if he does not, whence the advantage of the change? 
For, as the game is now played, every position in the 
fields requires to be equally well played, to insure suc- 
cess in a match game. 



POINTS IN THE GAME. 17^ 

BRINGING IN THE TENTH MAN. 

The new rule which went into operation for the first 

time in 1889, and which admits of the captain of the 

team substituting a new pitcher or catcher or occupant 

of c^ny other position in the game, in the place of a 

player already in the nine, whom he deems it good 

policy to retire, was adopted mainly to do away with 

the disputes which had frequently arisen on questions 

of doubt as to a player being sufficiently disabled or 

sick as to admit of his retiring from the field and 

being replaced by a new man. Moreover, there was 

a desire expressed to test the question, by practical 

experiment, as to whether it would not add to the 

attractions of the game to open the door to a new 

strategical point of play in allowing a new man to be 

introduced in the game to relieve a pitcher or catcher 

who, though not disabled to the extent requirmg the 

substituting of another player under the rule of illness 

or injury or disablement, was nevertheless not able 

to play his position up to the required standard. 

Then, too, there was another point developed which 

the new rule admitted of being played to advantage, 

and that was the placing of a young pitcher in the 

team at a period of a contest when the score had 

virtually given the game to the side having the 

effective veteran pitcher in position, whom it was 

desirous to save from unnecessary labor in the box. 

It remains for the experience of the season of 1889 to 

see how this new rule will work 



172 POINTS IN THE GAME. 

BATTERY TEAMS. 

More and more each season is the fact becoming 
evident that pitchers and catchers must learn to play 
in pairs if it be desired to develop the full strength of 
the attacking force. It was by their perfect work- 
ing together as a pair that White and Spalding did 
such valuable service as the champion players in their 
position for five successive years, four years in the 
Boston champion team and one year in the Chicago 
nine. We were glad to see that pitchers played v/ith 
more care last season in throwing to bases to catch 
base runners napping, than ever before. This custom 
is more to be honored in the breach than in the ob- 
servance. More bases are given through errors re- 
sulting from this throwing to bases by pitchers in one 
game than there are players put out by it in a dozen 
matches. The improvement in batting- each season 
requires a more rapid delivery from a pitcher than 
hitherto. We do not mean in regard to his pace in 
delivery, but his being quick in his movements in 
delivering the ball. The object of this and prompt 
return of the ball from the catcher is to keep the 
batsman so closely confined to his work as to make 
him nervous about striking. A slow style of move- 
ment in sending in the ball gives the batsman time to 
collect his wits about him and to judge the ball ; a 
quicker delivery has the reverse effect. Many a bats- 
man, of the heavy hitting order especially, has been 
sent to grief in being called out on strikes, owing to 
the way the pitcher has bothered him by his quick 
and accurate delivery of the ball over the base. 



NATIONAL PLAYING RULES 

— OF— 

Professional Base Ball Clubs 

AS ADOPTED JOINTLY BY THE NATIONAL LEAGUE AND 
AMERICAN ASSOCIATION, AND GOVERNING ALL CLUBS 
PARTIES TO THE NATIONAL AGREEMENT. 

1889. 
THE BALL GROUND. 

Rule i. The Ground must be an enclosed field, sufficient in 
size to enable each player to play in his position as required by 
these Rules. 

Rule 2. The Inlield must be a space of ground thirty yards 
square. 

THE BASES. 

Rule 3. The Bases must be 

Sec. I. Four in number, and designated as First Bas«4, Second 
Base, Third Base and Home Base. 

Sec, 2. The Home Base must be of whitened rubber twelve 
inches square, so fixed in the ground as to be even with the sur- 
face, and so placed in the corner of the infield that two of its sides 
will form part of the boundaries of said infield. 

Sec. 3. The First, Second and Third Bases must be canvas 
bags, fifteen inches square, painted white, and filled with some soft 
material, and so placed that the center of the second base shall be 
upon its corner of the infield, and the center o the first and 
third bases shall be on the lines running to and from second base 
and seven and one-half inches from the foul lines, providing that 
each base shall be entirely within the foul lines. 

Sec. 4. All the bases must be securely fastened in their posi- 
tions, and so placed as to be distinctly seen by the Umpire. 

the foul lines. 

Rule 4. The Foul Lines must be drawn in straight lines 
from the outer corner of the Home Base, along the outer edge of 
the First and Third Bases, to the boundaries of the Ground. 

173 



1 74 PLAYING RULES. 



THE roSITION LINES. 



Rule 5. The Pitcher's Lines must be straight lines form- 
ing the boundaries of a space of ground, in the infield, five 
and one-half feet long by four feet wide, distant fifty feet from 
the center of the Home Base, and so placed that the five and 
one-half feet lines would each be two feet distant from and par- 
allel with a straight line passing through the center of the Home 
and Second Bases. Each corner of this space must be marked 
by a flat iron plate or stone six inches square, fixed in the ground 
even with the surface. 

Rule 6. The Catcher's Lines must be drawn from the outer 
corner of the Home Base, in continuation of the Foul Lines, 
straight to the limits of the Ground back of Home Base. 

Rule 7. The Captain's or Coacher's Lines must be a line 
fifteen feet from and parallel with tlie Foul Lines, said lines com- 
mencing at a line parallel with and seventy-five feet distant from 
the catcher's lines, and running thence to the limits of the 
grounds. 

Rule 8. The Players' Lines must be drawn from the Catcher's 
Lines to the limits of the Ground, fifty feet distant from and 
parallel with, the foul lines. 

Rule 9. The Batsman's Lines must be straight lines forming 
the boundaries of a space on the right, and of a similar space on 
the left of the Home Base, six feet long by four feet wide, extend- 
ing three feet in front of and three feet behind the center of the 
Home Base, and with its nearest line distant six inches from the 
Home Base. 

Rule 10. The Three Feet Lines must be drawn as follows : 
From a point on the Foul Line from Home Base to First Base, 
and equally distant from such bases, shall be drawn a line on Foul 
Ground, at a right angle to said Foul Line, and to a point three 
feet distant from it ; thence running parallel with said Foul Line, 
to a point three feet distant from the First Base ; thence in a 
straight line to the Foul Line, and thence upon the Foul Line to 
point of beginning. 

Rule II. The fines designated in Rules 4, 5, 6. 7, 8, 9, and 10 
must be marked with chalk or other suitable material, so as to be 
distinctly seen by the Umpire. They must all be so marked their 
entire length, except the Captain's and Player's Lines, which must 
be so marked for a distance of at least thirty-five yards from the 
Catcher's Lines. 

the ball. 

Rule 12. The Ball. 

Sec. I. Must not weigh less than nve or more than five 
and one-quarter ounces avoirdupois, and measure not less than 



PLAYING RULES. 175 

nine nor more than nine and one-quarter inches in circumference. 
The Spalding- League Ball, or the Reach American Association 
Ball must be used in all games played under these rules. 

Sec. 2. For each championship game two balls shall be fur- 
nished by the Home Club to the Umpire for use. When the ball 
in play is batted over the fence or stands, on to foul ground out of 
sight of the players, the other ball shall be immediately put into 
play by the Umpire. As often as one of the two in use shall be 
lost, a new one must be substituted, so that the Umpire may at all 
times, after the game begins, have two for use. The moment the 
Umpire delivers the alternate ball to the catcher or pitcher it comes 
into play, and shall not be exchanged until it, in turn, passes out 
of sight on to foul ground. 

Sec. 3. In all games the ball or balls played with shall 
be furnished by the Home Club, and the last ball in play becomes 
the property of the winning club. Each ball to be used in cham- 
pionship games shall be examined, measured and weighed by the 
Secretary of the Association, inclosed in a paper box and sealed 
with the seal of the Secretary which seal shall not be broken ex- 
cept by the Umpire in the presence of the captains of the two 
contesting nines after play has been called. 

Sec. 4. Should the ball become out of shape, or cut or ripped 
so as to expose the yarn, or in any way so injured as to be — in the 
opinion of the Umpire — unlit for fair use, the Umpire, on being 
appealed toby either captain, shall at once put the alternate ball 
into play and. call for a new one. 

THE BAT. 

Rule 13. The Bat. 

Sec. I. Must be made wholly of wood, except that the handle 
may be wound with twine or a granulated substance applied, not 
to exceed eighteen inches from the end. 

Sec. 2. It must be round, except that a portion of the surface 
may be flat on one side, but it must not exceed two and one-half 
inches in diameter in the thickest part, and must not exceed forty- 
two inches in length. 

the players and their positions. 

Rule 14. The players of each club in a game shall be nine 
in number, one of whom shall act as Captain, and in no case shall 
less than nine men be allowed to play on e.-ich side. 

Rule 15. The players' positions shall be such as may be as- 
signed them by their Captain, except that the Pitcher must take 
his position within the Pitcher's Lines, as defined in Rule 5. 
When in position on the field, all players will be designated 
" Fielders" in these rules. 



176 PLAYING RULES. 

Rule i6. Players in uniform shall not be permitted to seat 
themselves among the spectators. 

Rule 17. Every Club shall be required to adopt uniforms for 
its players, and each player shall be required to present himself 
upon the field duiing said game in a neat and cleanly condition, 
but no player shall attach anything to the sole or heel of his shoes 
other than the ordinary base ball shoe plate. 

THE pitcher's POSITION. 

Rule iS. The pitcher shall take his position facing the bats- 
man with both feet square on the ground, one foot on the rear 
line of the " box." He shall not raise either foot, unless in the 
act of delivering the ball, nor make more than one step in such 
delivery. He shall hold the ball, before the delivery, fairly in 
front of his body, and in sight of the Umpire. When the pitcher 
feigns to throw the ball to a base he must resume the above posi- 
tion and pause momentarily before delivering the ball to the bat. 

THE BATSMLN's POSITION — ORDER OF BATTING. 

Rule 19. The batsmen must take their positions within the 
Batsmen's Lines, as defined in Rule 9, in the order in which they 
are named on the score, which must contain the batting order of 
both nines, and be submitted by the Captains of the opposing 
teams to the Umpire before the game, and when approved by 
him THIS SCORE must be followed except in the case of a substi- 
tute player, in which case the substitute must take the place of 
the original player in the baiting order. After the first inning 
the first striker in each inning shall be the batsman whose name 
follows that of the last man who has completed his turn — time at 
bat — in the preceding inning. 

Rule 20. Sec. i. When their side goes to the bat the players 
must immediately return to and seat themselves upon the players' 
bench and remain there until the side is put out, except when bats- 
man or base runner. All bats not in use must be kept in the bat 
racks, and the two players next succeeding the batsman, in the order 
in which they are named on the score, must be ready with bat in 
hand to promptly take position as batsman ; provided, that the 
Captain and one assistant only may occupy the space between the 
players' Hues and the Captain's lines to coach base runners. 

Sec. 2. No player of the side at bat, except when Batsman, 
shall occupy any portion of the space within the Catcher's Lines, 
as defined in Rule 6. The triangular space behind the Home 
Base is reserved for the exclusive use of the Umpire, Catcher and 
Batsman, and the Umpire must prohibit any player of the side "at 
bat " from crossing the same at any time while the ball is in the 



PLAYING RULES. 



177 



hands of, or passing between, the Pitcher and Catcher, while 
standing in their positions. 

Sec. 3. The players of the side "at bat" must occupy the 
portion of the field allotted them, but must speedily vacate any 
portion thereof that may be in the way of the ball, or of any 
Fielder attempting to catch or field it. 

players' benches. 
Rule 21. The Players' Benches must be furnished by the 
home club, and placed upon a portion of the ground outside the 
Players' lines. They must be twelve feet in length, and must be 
immovably fastened to the ground. At the end of each bench 
must be immovably fixed a bat rack, with fixtures for holding 
twenty bats ; one such rack must be designated for the exclusive 
use of the Visiting Club, and the other for the exclusive use of 
the Home Club. 

THE GAME. 

Rule 22 Sec. i. Every Championship Game must be com- 
menced not later than two hours before sunset. 

Sec. 2. A Game shall consist of nine innings to each con- 
testing nine, except that, 

(a) If the side first at bat scores less runs in nine innings than 
the other side has scored in eight innings, the game shall then 
terminate. 

(b) If the side last at bat in the ninth inning scores the win- 
ning run before the third man is out, the game shall terminate, 
upon the return of the ball to the pitcher. 

A tie game. 
Rule 23. If the score be a tie at the end of nine innings to 
each side, play shall only be continued until the side first at bat 
shall have scored one or more runs than the other side, in an 
equal number of innings, or until the other side shall score one 
or more runs than the side first at bat. 

A DRAWN GAME. 

Rule 24. A Drawn Game shall be declared by the Umpire 
when he terminates a game on account of darkness or rain, after 
five equal innings have been played, if the score at the time is 
equal on the last even innings played ; but if the side that went 
second to bat is then at the bat, and has scored the same number 
of runs as the other side, the Umpire shall declare the game 
drawn, without regard to the score of the last equal innings. 

A called GAME. 

Rule 25 If the Umpire calls "Game "on account of dark- 
ness or rain at any time after five innings have been completed 



1 78 PLAYING RULES. 

by both sides, the score sliall be that of the last equal innings 
played, unless the side second at bat shall have scored one or 
more runs than the side first at bat, in which case the score of the 
game shall be the total number of runs made. 

A FORFEITED GAME. 

Rule 26. A Forfeited Game shall be declared by the Umpire 
in favor of the club not in fault, at the request of such club, in 
the following cases : 

Sec. I. If the nine of a club fail to appear upon the field, or 
being upon the field, fail to begin the game within five m.inutes 
after the Umpire has called ' Play," at the hour appointed for 
the beginning of the game, unless such delay in appearing or in 
commencing the game be unavoidable. 

Sec. 2. If, after the game has begun, one side refuses or fails to 
continue playing, unless such game has been suspended or termi- 
nated by the Umpire 

Sec. 3. If, after play has been suspended by 'the Umpire, one 
side fails to resume playing within five minutes after the Umpire 
has called " Play." 

Sec. 4. If, in the opinion of the Umpire, any one of these rules 
is willfully violated. 

Sec. 5. If, after ordering the removal of a player, as authorized 
by Rule 57, Sec. 5, said order is not obeyed within five minutes. 

Sec. 6. In case the Umpire declares a game forfeited, he shall 
transmit a written notice thereof to the President of the Associa- 
tion within twenty four hours thereafter. 

NO GAME. 

Rule 27. " No Game " shall be declared by tne Umpire if 
he shall terminate play on account of rain or darkness, before five 
innings on each side are completed. 

substitutes. 

Rule 28. Sec. i. In every championship game each team 
shall be required to have present on the field, in uniform, at least 
one or more substitute players. 

Sec. 2. One player, whose name shall be printed on the 
score card as an extra player, may be substituted at the end of 
any completed innings by either club, but the player retired shall 
not thereafter participate in the game. In addition thereto a sub- 
stitute may be allowed at any time in place of a player disabled 
in the game then being played, by reason of illness or injury, of 
the nature and extent of which the Umpire shall be the sole 
judge. 

Sec. 3. The Base Runner shall not have a substitute run for 
him, except by consent of the Captains of the contesting teams. 



PLAYING RULES. 179 

CHOICE OF INNINGS— CONDITION OF GROUND. * 

Rule 29. The choice of innings shall be given to the Captain 
of the Home Club, who shall also be the sole judge of the fit- 
ness of the ground for beginning a game after rain. 

THE DELIVERY OF THE BALL — FAIR AND UNFAIR BALLS, 

Rule 30. A Fair Ball is a ball delivered by the Pitcher while 
standing wholly within the lines of his position, and facing the 
batsman, the ball, so delivered to pass over the home base, not 
lower than the batsman's knee, nor higher than his shoulder. 

Rule 31. An Unfair Ball is a ball delivered by the Pitcher, 
as in Rule 30, except that the ball does not pass over the Home 
Base, or does pass over the Home Base above the batsman's 
shoulder, or below the knee. 

BALKING. 

Rule 32. A Balk is 

Sec. I. Any motion made by the Pitcher to deliver the ball 
to the bat without delivering it, and shall be held to include any 
and every accustomed motion with the hands, arms or feet, or po- 
sition of the body assumed by the Pitcher in his delivery of the 
ball, and any motion calculated to deceive a base runner, except 
the ball be accidentally dropped. 

Sec. 2. The holding of the ball by the Pitcher so long as to 
delay the game unnecessarily ; or 

Sec. 3. Any motion to deliver the ball, or the delivering the 
ball to the bat by the Pitcher when any part of his person is upon 
ground outside of the lines of his position, including all prelim- 
inary motions with the hands, arms and feet. 

DEAD BALLS. 

Rule 33. A Dead Ball is a ball delivered to the bat by the 
Pitcher that touches the Batsman's bat without being struck at, or 
any part of the Batsman's person or clothing while standing in 
his position without being struck at ; or any part of the Umpire's 
person or clothing, while on foul ground, without first passing the 
Catcher. 

Rule 34. In case of a Foul Strike, Foul Hit ball not legally 
caught out, Dead Ball, or Base Runner put out for being struck 
by a fair hit ball, the ball shall not be considered in play until it 
is held by the Pitcher standing in his position. 

BLOCK BALLS. 

Rule 35. Sec. i. A Block is a batted or thrown ball that is 
stopped or handled by any person not engaged in the game. 



i8o PLAYING RULES. 

Sic. 2. Whenever a Block occurs the Umpire shall declare 
it, and Base Runners may run the bases, without being put out, 
until the ball has been returned to and held by the Pitcher 
standing in his position. 

Sec. 3. In the case of a Block, if the person not engaged 
in the game should retain possession of the ball, or throw or kick 
it beyond the reach of the Fielders, the Umpire should call 
" Time," and require each base runner to stop at the last base 
touched by him until the ball be returned to the Pitcher standing 
in his position. 

THE SCORING OF RUNS. 

Rule 36. One Run shall be scored every time a Base Runner, 
after having legally touched the first three bases, shall touch the 
Home Base before three men are put out. If the third man is 
forced out, or is put out before reaching First Base, a run shall not 
be scored. 

THE BATTING RULES. 

Rule 37. A Fair Hit is a ball batted by the batsman, standing 
in his position, that first touches the ground, the First Base, the 
Third Base, any part of the person of a player. Umpire, or any 
other object that is in front of or on either of the Foul Lines, or 
batted directly to the ground by the Batsman, standing in his 
position, that (whether it first touches Foul or Fair Ground) 
bounds or rolls within the Foul Lines, between Home and First, 
or Home and Third Bases, without interference by a player. 

Rule 38. A Foul Hit is a ball batted by the Batsman, stand- 
ing in his position, that first touches the ground, any part of the 
person of a player, or any other object that is behind either of the 
Foul Lines, or that strikes the person of such Batsman, while 
standing in his position, or batted directly to the ground by the 
Batsman, standing in his position, that (whether it first touches 
Foul or Fair Ground) bounds or rolls outside the Foul Lines, 
between Home and First or Home and Third Bases, without 
interference by a player. Provided, that a Foul Hit not rising 
above the Batsman's head and caught by the Catcher playing 
within ten feet of the Home Base, shall be termed a Foul Tip. 

BALLS BATTED OUTSIDE THE GROUNDS. 

Rule 39. When a batted ball passes outside the grounds, the 
Umpire shall decide it Fair should it disappear within, or Foul 
should it disappear outside of the range of the Foul Lines, and 
Rules 37 and 38 are to be construed accordingly. 

Rule 40. A Fair batted ball that goes over the fence at a less 
distance than two hundred and ten feet from Home Base shall 



PLAYING RULES. iSl 

entitle the Batsman to two bases and a distinctive line shall be 
marked on the fence at this point. 

STRIKES. 

Rule 41. A Strike is 

Sec. I. A ball struck at by the Batsman without its touching 
his bat ; or 

Sec. 2. A Fair Ball, legally delivered by the Pitcher, but not 
struck at by the Batsman. 

Sec. 3. Any obvious attempt to make a foul hit. 

Rule 42. A Foul Strike is a ball batted by the Batsman when 
any part of his person is upon ground outside the lines of the 
Batsman's position. 

THE BATSMAN IS OUT. 

Rule 43. The Batsman is out : 

Sec. I. If he fails to take his position at the bat in his order 
of batting, unless the error be discovered and the proper Batsman 
takes his position before a fair hit has been made, and in such 
case the balls and strikes called must be counted in the time at 
bat of the proper Batsman : Provided, this rule shall not take 
effect unless the out is declared before the ball is delivered to the 
succeeding Batsman. 

Sec. 2. If he fails to take his position within one minute 
after the Umpire has called for the Batsman. 

Sec. 3. If he makes a Foul Hit, other than a Foul Tip as 
defined in Rule 38 and the ball be momentarily held by a 
Fielder before touching the ground, provided it be not caught in 
a Fielder's hat or cap, or touch some object other than a Fielder 
before being caught. 

Sic. 4. If he makes a Foul Strike. 

Sec. 5. If he attempts to hinder the Catcher from fielding 
the ball, evidently without effort to make a fair hit. 

Sec. 6. If, while the First Base be occupied by a base run- 
ner, three strikes be called on him by the Umpire, except when 
two men are already out. 

Sec. 7. If, while making the third strike, the ball hits his 
person or clothing. 

Sec. 8. If, after two strikes have been called, the Batsman 
obviously attempts to make a foul hit, as in Section 3, Rule 41. 

BASE RUNNING RULES. 

WHEN THE BATSMAN BECOMES A BASE RUNNER. 

Rule 44. The Batsman becomes a Base Runner : 
Sec I. Instantly after he makes a Fair Hit. 



l82 



PLAYING RULES. 



Sec. 2. Instantly after four Balls have been called by the 
Umpire. 

Sec. 3. Instantly after three strikes have been declared 
by the Umpire. 

Sec. 4. If, while he be a Batsman, his person or clothing be 
hit by a ball from the pitcher, unless — in the opinion of the Um- 
pire — he intentionally permits himself to be so hit. 

Sec. 5 Instantly after an illegal delivery of a ball by the 
pitcher 

BASES TO be touched. 

Rule 45. The Base Runner must touch each Base in regu- 
lar order, viz.: First, Second, Third and Home Bases; and when 
obliged to return (except on a foul hit) must retouch the base or 
bases in reverse order He shall only be considered as holding 
a base after touching it, and shall then be entitled to hold such 
base until he has legally touched the next base in order, or has 
been legally forced to vacate it for a succeeding Base Runner. 

entitled to bases. 

Rule 46. The Base Runner shall be entitled, without being 
put out, to take one Base in the following cases : 

Sec. I. If, while he was Batsman, the Umpire called four 
Balls. 

Sec. 2. If the Umpire awards a succeeding Batsman a base 
on four balls, or for being hit with a pitched ball, or in case of an 
illegal delivery — as in Rule 44, Sec. 5 — and the Base Runner is 
thereby forced to vacate the base held by him. 

Sec. 3. If the Umpire calls a "balk." 

Sec. 4. If a ball delivered by the Pitcher pass the Catcher 
and touch the Umpire or any fence or building within ninety feet 
of the Home Base. 

Sec. 5. If upon a fair hit the Ball strikes the person or 
clothing of the Umpire on fair ground. 

Sec. 6. If he be prevented from making a base by the ob- 
struction of an adversary. 

Sec. 7. If the Fielder stop or catch a batted ball with his 
hat or any part of his dress. 

returning to bases. 

Rule 47. The Base Runner shall return to his Base, and shall 
be entitled to so return without being put out. 

Sec. I. If the Umpire declares a Foul Tip (as defined in 
Rule 38) or any other Foul Hit not legally caught by a Fielder. 

Sec. 2. If the Umpire declares a P^oul Strike. 

Sec. 3. If the Umpire declares a Dead Ball, unless it be also 



r-LAYING RULES. 1S3 

the fourth Unfair Ball, and he be thereby forced to take the next 
base, as provided in Rule 46, Sec. 2. 

Sec. 4. If the person or clothing of the Umpire is struck 
by a ball thrown by the Catcher to intercept a Base Runnete 

WHEN BASE RUNN^.RS ARE OUT. 

Rule 48. The Base Runner is out : 

Sec. I. If, after three strikes have been declared against him 
while Batsman, and the Catcher fail to catch the third strike ball, 
he plainly attempts to hinder the Catcher from fielding the ball. 

Sec. 2. If, having made a Fair Hit while Batsman, such fair 
hit ball be momentarily held by a Fielder, before touching the 
ground or any object other than a Fielder . Provided, it be not 
caught in a Fielder's hat or cap. 

Sec. 3. If. when the Umpire has declared three strikes on 
him, while batsman, the third strike ball be momentarily held by 
a Fielder before touching the ground. Provided, it be not caught 
in a Fielder's hat or cap, or touch some object other than a Fielder 
before being caught. 

Sec. 4. If, after Three Strikes or a Fair Hit, he be touched 
>vith the ball in the hand of a Fielder before such Base Runner 
touches Y'xxsX Base. 

Sec. 5. If, after Three Strikes or a Fair Hit, the ball be se- 
curely held by a Fielder, while touching First Base with any part 
of his person, before such Base Runner touches First Base. 

Sec. 6. If, in running the last half of the distance from Home 
Base to First Base, he runs outside the Three Feet Lines, as 
defined in Rule 10; except that he must do so if necessary to 
avoid a Fielder attempting to field a batted ball, and in such case 
shall not be declared out. 

Sec. 7. If, in running from First to Second Base, from Sec- 
ond to Third Base, or from Third to Home Base, he runs more 
than three feet from a direct line between such bases to avoid 
being touched by the ball in the hands of a Fielder ; but in case a 
Fielder be occupying the Base Runner's proper path, attempting 
to field a batted ball, then the Base Runner shall run out of the 
path and behind said Fielder, and shall not be declared out for so 
doing. 

Sec. 8. If he fails to avoid a Fielder attempting to field a 
batted ball, in the manner prescribed in Sections 6 and 7 of this 
Rule ; or if he, in any way, obstructs a Fielder attempting to field 
a batted ball, or intentionally interferes with a thrown ball : Pro- 
vided, That if two or more Fielders attempt to field a batted ball, 
and the Base Runner comes in contact with one or more of them, 
the Umpire shall determine which Fielder is entitled to the bene- 



t84 playing rules. 

fit of this Rule, and shall not decide the Base Runner out for com- 
ing in contact with any other Fielder. 

Sec. 9. If, at any time while the ball is in play, he be 
touched by the ball in the hands of a PMelder, unless some part of 
his person is touching a base he is entitled to occupy : Provided, 
The ball be held by the Fielder after touching him ; but (-exception 
as to First Base), in running to First Base, he may overrun said base 
without being put out for being off said base, after first touching 
it, provided he returns at once and retouches the base, after which 
he may be put out as at any other base. If, in overrunning First 
Base, he also attempts to run to Second Base, or, after passing the 
baiie he turns to his left from the foul line, he shall forfeit such 
exemption from being put out. 

Sec. id. If, when a Fair or Foul Hit ball, other than a foul 
tip as referred to in Rule 38, is legally caught by a Fielder, such 
ball is legally held by a Fielder on the base occupied by the Base 
Runner when such ball was struck (or the I^ase Runner be touched 
with the ball in the hands of a Fielder), before he retouches said 
base after such Fair or Foul Hit ball was so caught. Provided, 
That the Base Runner shall not be out in such case, if, after the 
ball was legally caught as above, it be delivered to the bat by the 
Pitcher before the Fielder holds it on said base, or touches the 
Base Runner with it ; but if the Base Runner in attempting to 
reach a base, detaches it before being touched or forced out he 
shall be declared safe. 

Sec. II. If, when a Batsman becomes a Base Runner, the 
First Base, or the First and Second Bases, or the First, Second 
and Third Bases, be occupied, any Base Runner so occupying 
a base shall cease to be entitled to hold it until any following Base 
Runner is put out and may be put out at the next base or by being 
touched by the ball in the hands of a Fielder in the same manner 
as in running to First Base, at any time before any following 
Base Runner is put out. 

Sec. 12. If a Fair Hit ball strike him before touching the fielder 
and in such case no base shall be run unless forced by the Bats- 
man becoming a Base Runner, and no run shall be scored. 

Sec. 13. If when running to a base or forced to return to a 
base, he fail to touch the intervening base or bases, if any, in the 
order prescribed in Rule 45, he may be put out at the base he 
fails to touch, or by being touched by the ball in the hands of a 
Fielder, in the same manner as in running to First Base. 

Sec. 14. If, when the Umpire calls * Play," after any sus- 
pension of a game, he fails to return to and touch the base he 
occupied when " Time " was called before touching the next base. 



LAYING RULES. 185 

WHEN BATSMAN OR BASE RUNNER IS OUT. 

Rule 49, The Umpire shall declare the Batsman or Rase 
Runner out, without waiting for an appeal for such decision, in 
all cases where such player is put out in accordance with these 
rules, except as provided in Rule 48, Sections 10 and 14. 

COACHING RULES. 

Rule 50. The Captains and Coachers are restricted in coach- 
ing to the Base Runner only, and are not allowed to address any 
remarks except to the Base Runner, and then only in words of 
necessary direction ; and no player shall use language which will 
in any manner refer to or reflect upon a player of the opposing 
club, or the audience. To enforce the above, the Captain of the 
opposite side may call the attention of the Umpire to the offence, 
and upon a repetition of the same the club shall be debarred from 
further coaching during the game. 

THE UMPIRE. 

Rule 51. The Umpire shall not be changed during the pro- 
gress of a game, except for reasons of illness or injury. 

HIS POWERS AND JURISDICTION. 

Rule 52. Sf.c. i. The Umpire is master of the Field from 
the commencement to the termination of the game, and is entitled 
to the respect of the spectators, and any person offering any 
insult or indignity to him must be promptly ejected from the 
grounds. 

Sec. 2. He must compel the players to observe the provisions 
of all the Playing Rules, and he is hereby invested with authority 
to order any player to do or omit to do any act as he may deem 
necessary, to give force and effect to any and all of such provi- 
sions. 

SPECIAL DUTIES. 

Rule 53. The Umpire's duties shall be as follows : 
Sec. I. The Umpire is the sole and absolute judge of play. 
In no instance shall any person be allowed to question the cor- 
rectness of any decision made by him except the Captains of the 
contending nines, and no other player shall at such time leave 
his position in the field, his place at the bat. on the bases or play- 
ers' bench, to approach or address the Umpire in word or act up- 
on such disputed decision. Neither shall any Manager or other 
officers of either club — except the Captains as before mentioned 
— be permitted to go upon the field or address the Umpire in 
regard to such disputed decision, under a penalty of a forfeiture 



1 86 PLAYING RULES. 

of the game to the opposing club. The Umpire shall in no case 
appeal to any spectator for information in regard to any case, and 
shall not reverse his decision on any point of play on the testi- 
mony of any player or bystander. 

Sec. 2. Before the commencement of a Game, the Um- 
pire shall see that the rules governing all the materials of the 
game are strictly observed. He shall ask the Captain of the 
Home Club whether there are any special ground rules to be en- 
forced, and if there are, he shall see that they arc duly enforced, 
provided they do not conflict with any of these Rules. He shall 
also ascertain whether the fence in the rear of the Catcher's posi- 
tion is distant ninety feet from the Home Base. 

Sec. 3. The Umpire must keep the contesting nines playing 
constantly from the commencement of the game to its termination, 
allowing such delays only as are rendered unavoidable by accident, 
injury or rain. He must, until the completion of the game, require 
the players of each side to promptly take their positions in the field 
as soon as the the third man is put out, and must require the 
first striker of the opposite side to be in his position at the bat 
as soon as the fielders are in their places. 

Sec. 4. The Umpire shall count and call every " unfair 
ball*' delivered by the Pitcher, and every "dead ball," if 
also an unfair ball, as a " ball," and he shall also count and call 
every " strike." Neither a " ball " nor a " strike " shall be counted 
or called until the ball has passed the home base. He shall also 
declare every ''Dead Ball," "Block," "Foul Hit," "Foul 
Strike," and "Balk." 

Rule 54. For the special benefit of the patrons of the game, 
and because the offences specified are under his immediate juris- 
diction, and not subject to appeal by players, the attention of the 
Umpire is particularly directed to possible violations of the purpose 
and spirit of the Rules of the following character : 

Sec. I. Laziness or loafing of players in taking their places 
in the field, or those allotted them by the Rules when their side is 
at the bat, and especially any failure to keep the bats in the racks 
provided for them ; to be ready (two men) to take position as 
Batsmen, and to remain upon the Players' Bench, except when 
otherwise required by the Rules. 

Sec. 2. Any attempt by players of the side at bat, by calling 
to a Fielder, other than the one designated by his Captain, to field 
a ball, or by any other equally disreputable means seeking to dis- 
concert a Fielder. 

Sec. 3. The Rules make a marked distinction between hin- 
drance of an adversary in fielding a batted or thrown ball. This 
has been done to rid the game of the childish excuses and claims 
formerly made by a Fielder failing to hold a ball to put out a Base 



PLAYING RULES. l8/ 

Runner. But there may be cases of a Base Runner so flagrantly 
violating the spirit of the Rules and of the Game in obstructing a 
Fielder from tieldino'. i thrown ball that it would become the duty 
of the Umpire, not only to declare the Base Runner " out'' (and 
to compel any succeeding Base Runners to hold their bases), but 
also to impose a heavy fine upon him. For example : If the Base 
Runner plainly strike at the ball while passing him, to prevent its 
being caught by a Fielder; if he holds a Fielder's arms so as to dis- 
able him from catching the ball, or if he run against or knock the 
Fielder down for the same purpose, 

CALLING "play" AND "TIME." 

Rule 55. The Umpire must call " Play," promptly at the 
hour designated by the Home Club, and on the call of "Play" the 
game must immediately begin. When he calls " Time," play shall 
be suspended unlil he calls " Play " again, and during the interim no 
player shall be put out, base be run, or run be scored. The Um- 
pire shall suspend play only for an accident to himself or a player 
(but in case of accident to a Fielder, " Time" shall not be called 
until the ball be returned to, and held by the Pitcher, standing in 
his position), or in case rain falls so heavily thaf the spectators are 
compelled, by the severity of the storm, to seek shelter, in which 
case he shall note the time of suspension, and should such rain con- 
tinue to fall thirty minutes thereafter, he shall terminate the game; 
or to enforce order in case of annoyance from spectators. 

Rule 56. The Umpire is only allowed, by the Rules, to call 
" Time " in case of an accident to himself or a player, a " Block," 
as referred to in Rule 35, Sec. 3, or in case of rain, as defined by 
the Rules. The practice of players suspending the game to discuss 
or contest a discussion with the Umpire, is a gross violation of 
the Rules, and the Umpire must promptly fine any player who 
interrupts the game in this manner. 

INFLICTING fines. 

Rule 57. The Umpire is empowered to inflict fines of not less 
than $5.00 nor more than I25.00 for the first offence on players 
during the progress of a game, as follows : 

Sec I. For indecent or improper language addressed to the 
audience, the Umpire or any player. 

Sec. 2. For the Captain or Coacher willfully failing to remain 
within the legal bounds of his position, except upon an appeal by 
the Captain from the Umpire's decision upon a misinterpretation 
of the rules. 

Sec. 3. For the disobedience by a player of any other of his 
orders, or for any other violation of these Rules. 



l88 PLAYING RULES. 

Sec. 4. In case the Umpire imposes a fine on a player, he 
shall at once notify the Captain of the offending player's side, and 
shall transmit a written notice thereof to the President of the 
Association or League within twenty-four hours thereafter, under 
the penalty of having said fine taken from his own salary. 

Sec. 5. A repetition of any of the above offences shall, at 
the discretion of the Umpire, subject the offender either to a repe- 
tition of the fine or to removal from the field and the immediate 
substitution of another player then in uniform. 

FIELD RULES. 

Rule 58. No Club shall allow open betting or pool selling 
upon its grounds, nor in any building owned or occupied by it. 

Rule 59. No person shall be allowed upon any part of the 
field during the progress of the game, in addition to the players in 
uniform, the Manag'^r on each side and the Umpire ; except such 
officers of the law as may be present in uniform, and such officials 
of the Home Club as may be necessary to preserve the peace. 

Rule 60. No Umpire, Manager, Captain or Player shall ad- 
dress the audience during the progress of a game, except in case 
of necessary explanation. 

Rule 61. Every Club shall furnish sufficient police force upon 
its own grounds to preserve order, and in the event of a crowd 
entering the iield during the progress of a game, and interfering 
with the play in any manner, the Visiting Club may refuse to 
play further until the field be cleared. If the ground be not 
cleared within fifteen minutes thereafter, the Visiting Club may 
claim, and shall be entitled to, the game by a score of nine runs 
to none (no matter what number of innings have been played). 

general definitions. 

Rule 62. "Play" is the order of the Umpire to begin the game 
or to resume play after its suspension. 

Rule 63. "Time" is the order of the Umpire to suspend play. 
Such suspension must not extend beyond the day of the game. 

Rule 64. ' 'Game" is the announcement by the Umpire that the 
game is terminated. 

Rule 65 "An Inning" is the term at bat of the nine players 
representing a Club in a game, and is completed when three of 
such players have been put out as provided in these Rules, 

Rule 66. "A Time at Bat" is the term at bat of a Batsman. 
It begins when he takes his position, and continues until he is put 
out or becomes a Base Runner ; except when, because of being 
hit by a pitched ball, or in case of an illegal delivery by the 
Pitcher, as in Rule 44. 

Rule 67. "Legal" or "Legally" signifies as required by these 
Rules. 



PLAYING RULES. _ 1S9 

SCORING. 

Rule 68. In order to promote Uniformity in Scoring Cham- 
pionship Games, the following- instructions, suggestions and defi- 
nitions are made for the benefit of scorers, and they are required 
to make ajl scores in accordance therewith. 



Sec. I. The first item in the tabulated score, after the play- 
er's name and position, shall be the number of times he has been 
at bat during the game. The time or times where the player 
has been sent to base by being hit by a pitched ball, by the pitch- 
er's illegal delivery, or by a base on balls shall not be included in 
this column. 

Sec. 2. In the second column should be set down the runs 
made by each player. 

Sec. 3. In the third column should be placed the first base 
hits made by each player. A base hit should be scored in the 
following cases : 

When the ball from the bat strikes the ground within the 
foul lines, and out of reach of the fielders. 

When a hit ball is partially or wholly stopped by a fielder 
in motion, but such player cannot recover himself in time to 
handle the ball before the striker reaches First Base. 

When a hit ball is hit so sharply to an infielder that he cannot 
handle it m time to put out the batsman. In case of doubt over 
this class of hits, score a base hit, and exempt the fielder from 
the charge of an errr)r. 

When a ball is hit so slowly towards a fielder that he cannot 
handle it in time to put out the batsman. 

That in all cases where a base runner is retired by being hit by 
a batted ball, the batsman should be credited with a base hit. 

When a batted ball hits the person or clothing of the Umpire, 
as defined in Rule 37. 

Sec. 4. In the fourth column shall be placed Sacrifice Hits, 
which shall be credited to the batsman, who when but one man 
is out advances a runner a base on a fly to the outfield or a ground 
hit, which results in putting out the batsman, or would so result 
if handled without error. 



Sec. 5. The number of opponents put out by each player shall 
be set down in the fifth column. W here a striker is given out by 
the Umpire for a foul strike, or because he struck out of his turn, 
the put-out shall be scored to the Catcher. 

Sec. 6. The n..nber of times the player assists shall be set 
down in the sixth column. An assist should be given to each 



IQO . PLAYING RULES. 

player who handles the ball in assisting a run out or other play of 
the kind. 

An assist should be given to a player who makes a play in time 
to put a runner out, even if the player who should complete the 
play fails, through no fault of the player assisting. 

And generally an assist should be given to each player who 
handles the ball from the time it leaves the bat until it reaches 
the player who makes the put out, or in case of a thrown ball, to 
each player who throws or handles it cleanly and in such a way 
that a put-out results, or would result if no error were made by 
the receiver. 



Sec. 7. An error shall be given in the seventh column for 
each misplay which allows the striker or base runner to make one 
or more bases when perfect play would have insured his being put 
out, except that " wild pitches," " bases on balls," " bases on the 
batsman being struck by a pitched ball," or case of illegal pitched 
ball, balks and passed balls, shall not be included in said column. 
In scoring errors of batted balls see Section 3 of this Rule. 

STOLEN BASES. 

Sec. 8. Stolen bases shall be scored as follows : 
Any attempt to steal a base must go to the credit of the base 
runner, whether the ball is thrown wild or muffed by the fielder, 
but any manifest error is to be charged to the fielder making the 
same. If the base runner advances another base he shall not be 
credited with a stolen base, and the fielder allowing the advance- 
ment is also to be charged with an error. If a base runner makes 
a start and a battery error is made, the runner secures the credit 
of a stolen base, and the battery error is scored against the player 
making it. Should a base runner overrun a base and then be put 
out, he should receive the credit for the stolen base. 

E.\RNED RUNS. 

Sec. 9. An earned run shall be scored every time the player 
reaches the home base unaided by errors before chances have 
been offered to retire the side. 

THE SUMMARY. 

Rule 6g. The Summary shall contain : 
Sec. I. The number of earned runs made by each side. 
Sec. 2. The number of two-base hits made by each player. 
Sec. 3. The number of three-base hits made by each player. 
Sec. 4. The number of home runs made by each player. 
Sec. 5. The number of bases stolen by each player. . 



PLAYING RULES. 19 1 

Sec. 6. The number of double and triple plays made by each 
side, with the names of the players assisting in the same. 

Sec. 7. The number of men given bases on called balls, by 
each Pitcher. 

Sec. 8. The number of men given bases from being hit by 
pitched balls. 

Sec. q The number of men struck out. 

Sec. 10. The number of passed balls by each Catcher. 

Sec. II. The number of wild pitches by each Pitcher. 

Sec. 12. The time of game. 

Sec. 13. The name of the Umpire. 

AMENDMENTS. 

Rule 70. No Amendment or change of any of these Na- 
lional Playing Rules shall be made, except by a joint committee 
on rules, consisting of three members from the National League 
and three members from the American Association. Such com- 
mittee to be appointed at the annual meetings of each of said 
bodies to serve one year from the twentieth day of December of 
each year Such committee shall have full power to act, provided 
that such amendments shall be made only by an affirmative vote of 
the majority of each delegation. 



INDEX. 

Page. 

How Base Ball is I^layed 7 

Diagram of Field lo 

Primary Rules of Play 12 

Professional Ball Playing 16 

The Art of Pitching 21 

The Correct Position 24 

Strategy in Pitching .... 26 

Speed in Delivery 34 

How to Curve the Ball 35 

Disguised Change of Pace 42 

Pitching for Catches 47 

Change of Pitchers 48 

A Catcher's Assistance. ... 51 

Balking 55 

Battery Work 57 

Hints to Pitchers 62 

The Art of Fielding 64 

The Catcher's Work 73 

Base Play 79 

Short Field Play 96 

The Outfield Positions loi 

Hints on Fielding no 

The Art of Batting 114 

Facing for Position 121 

On Base Hits 132 

Placing the Ball , 142 

Sacrifice Hitting 144 

Waiting for Balls 149 

Confidence in Hitting 153 

The Art of Base Running 159 

Watching the Pitcher 164 

Overrunning Bases . 165 

Points in the Game 168 

The New Rules for 18S9 173 

192 



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left-hand back stop glove, 
made of heaviest Indian- 
tanned or drab buckskin, the 
very best that can be pro- 
duced. The full left-hand 
glove is extra padded and 
sole leather finger tips to 
prevent the low curve balls 
from breaking or otherwise 
injuring the fingers. The 
right-hand glove is made with open back and finger- 
less, thoroughly padded. We especially recom- 
mend this glove for catchers. Each pair packed in 

separate box ^c; 00 

No. 4-0. Spalding's Special League Catchers* or Field- 
ers' Gloves, full left-hand soft-tips, lined, drab color 

buckskin 5 00 

No. 2-0. Spalding's League Regulation Catchers' Gloves 
full left-hand, with tips, good quality buckskin, same 

style of gloves as 3-0, not quite so heavy 3 50 

No. 3. A. Full left-hand "Spring Buck" with sole leather 

tips 300 

No. A. Full left-hand buckskin without tips 2 50 

No. AA. Full left-hand oiled tan sheepskin, without 

tips 125 

cH'CAoo. A. 6. SPALDING & BROS, newvopk. 




SPAIiDINQ'S TRADB-MAHKED CATOHEH'S MASKS 

No. 1-0. SrALDiNG's Regulation L,eague Mask, made of heavy 
wire, -well padded and faced with horsehide, warranted first- 
cl iss in every lespect $3 00 

No. 1. Spalding's Boys' League Mask, made of heavy wire, 
equally as heavy in proportion to size as the No. 2-0 mask. 
It is made to fit a boy's f ice, and gives the same protection as 
the League Mask . . .'. 2 50 

AMATEUR MASKS. 

To meet the demand for good masks at a low 
price, we have manufactured a line of amateur 
masks, which is superior to any mr k in the 
miirket at the same price. We do not guarantee 
these m isks, and believe that our Trade -Marked 
Masks are worth more than the difiFerence in 
price. 

No. A. Amateur Mask, made the same 
size and general style as the League 
Mask, but with lighter wire, and faced 
with leather. (We guarantee this mask 
to be superior to so-called League or 
professional masks sold by other manu- 
facturers $1 75 

No. B. Boys' Amateur Mask, similar 
to ^o. A Mask, only made smiller to fit 

Amateur Mask. a boy's face .... 150 

Any of the above masks mailed post-paid on receipt of price. 

SPALDING'S PATENT CELLULWD UMPIRE INDICATOR, 





As shown in the above cut, is intended for the use of Base Ball Umpires 
and Scorers to keep tally of the number of Strikes and Balls that may be 
called. The illustration, which represents the exact size of the Indicator, 
gives a good idea of its construction and mode of handhng. It can be 
easily operated by the thumb or finger while held in the pa'm of the hand. 
It has been highly recommended by all League ; nd Assocjation umpires 
who haye seen it. 

Price, each -. ;•■•.• 5"c 

By mail postpaid on receipt of \ ri' e. 

FW YORK. 



CHICAGO 



A. 6. SPALDING & BROS. N 



SPALDING'S TRADE-MARKED BATS. 

Probably no class of Sportsmen are more particular about their weapons 
than a professional ball player is abont his bat, lor it is a recognized fact, 
that no player can excel as a batsman, unless he uses a first-class, well-pro- 
portioned, thoroug-hly seasoned bat. A cheap, poor bat is worthless at any 
price. Recognizing- that ball players would appreciate a good article, and 
would willingly stand the slight additional expense, about eight years ago 
we introduced "Spalding's Trade-marked Hats," and they proved so popu- 
lar, and were so far ahead of anything else ever put upon the market, that 
for a time it seemed impossible to keep up with the demand. We have im- 
proved these bats from year to year, until now they are the bat par excel- 
lence, and are used by every prominent professional player in America. 
No. 3-0. No. 2-0. No. 1-0. No. 1. No. 3. No. 4. No. AA. 




For testimonials and indorsements we refer to all professional ball players 
in America. 



THE OFFICIAL, 



Spalding League Ball. 

ADOPTED BY THE NATIONAL LEAGUE FOR 1888. 




NO. 1. SPATiDINQ'S OFFICIAIj LBAQtrE BAXjIi, To Clubs, 

as adopted by the National Leagfue for ten consecu- Each. Per Doz. 
live years, including iSSS; each ball wrapped in tin 
foil and put up in a separate box as represented in 
the above illustration, and sealed in accordance with 
the latest Leaeue.regulations. Warranted to last 
a full game without ripping or losing its elasticity 
or shape. Beware of Counterfeits ; none 
genuine without trade mark on each box and ball, . SI BO $15 00 

If you cannot obtain this ball from your local dealer, send $1.50 to us, and 
we will send it to you prepaid. 



CHICAGO. 



A. G. SPALDING & BROS, h 



EW YORK. 



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